Dilemma
by Greenwood Dancer
Summary: COMPLETE! Kai-Tara Lee has begun to gain unusual and painful powers that are confusing everyone. Add this to a growing crush on Yami and a silent fight between him and Kai's best friend, and you have a complicated plot with a nice twist at the end. R
1. Kai

a/n: After you read this chapter, please review it! I would very much appreciate it. Please keep your mind open to this, it will get better. I have tried to keep to the characters as much as possible, and if there is something you think doesn't fit, please tell me in your review.  
  
(Disclaimer) I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, this would be on TV instead of being a fanfiction.  
  
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"Great duel, Yugi!" Tea exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, you were awesome!" Joey said.  
  
"Thanks," Yugi said, grinning as his friends patted him on the back.  
  
"Oh, he wasn't that good," Tristan said bitterly. He had lost terribly to Yugi in their practice duel a few minutes earlier. The others laughed at his annoyed face.  
  
Yami smiled to himself inside his soul room. He loved dueling and Yugi gave him the chance. But even more than that he enjoyed seeing Yugi so confident.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" Tristan's voice pulled Yami from his thoughts.  
  
Yugi looked where his friend was pointing. "It's a girl!"  
  
Yami moved to the window of his soul room where he could look through Yugi's eyes. He could see a girl lying in the grass by the road a few yards away. As the five friends moved toward her, Yami could see her features more clearly. She had hair that was deep red in color and was wearing jeans and a blue tank top.  
  
"She's not moving! Is she all right?" Tea asked, picking up her pace. She looked far too still to be just asleep.  
  
When Yugi got to her, he dropped to his knees and looked at her for a minute. "She's just sleeping," he concluded.  
  
Tea stood there, shocked. She'd never seen anyone sleep that soundly before.  
  
As if in response to what Yugi had just said, the girl's eyes fluttered open. When she saw some one standing over her, she cried out and scrambled away.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, clutching the polished stone around her neck.  
  
"I'm Yugi, this is Tristan, Tea, Joey and Bakura," he replied, indicating each one as he introduced them. "We were just passing by. We didn't mean to disturb you."  
  
She relaxed and released the stone. "It's all right. Goodness knows how long I've been out here anyway. I'm Kai-Tara."  
  
Yugi extended his hand to help her up and she took it. She smiled at him when she got to her feet.  
  
"It's getting dark," Kai-Tara said, looking at the sky. "Do you need a place to stay? There's really no place else for you to go. This town's pretty small."  
  
Yami left the window and tried to remember what he had been doing.  
  
"That would be great, thanks," Bakura said.  
  
"Yeah, okay," Tea said.  
  
"My house is right here," Kai-Tara said, pointing to the small cabin behind her. She started up the lawn and the others followed.  
  
"It's not very big, so it'll be tight," she said apologetically as they entered the front door.  
  
"It's fine," Yugi said, smiling. Kai-Tara smiled back, then proceeded to show them where they would spend the night.  
  
"The boys can sleep in here," she said, indicating a rather small room with a bed that was one of the only pieces of furniture in there. "I'll leave you to fight over who gets the bed," she laughed. "I'll bring in some extra blankets for those on the floor."  
  
"Tea, you and I can sleep in my room," she said, walking directly across the hall and indicating the room. "You get the bed since you're the guest."  
  
Tea smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"Hey, Kai-Tara," Joey said.  
  
She stopped him by putting up a hand. "Please, call me Kai."  
  
"Right. Do you live here alone?" he proceeded.  
  
There was a sudden change in her expression as she nodded. "My parents died when I was very young so I came to live here with my grandmother. Then last year she got in her car to go to the store and she never came back." She grabbed her necklace again and gripped it tightly.  
  
"Oh," Joey said, wishing he hadn't said anything.  
  
"I like your necklace," Tea said, attempting a change in conversation.  
  
"My grandmother gave it to me about a week before..." Kai trailed off. She avoided their eyes and Tea suspected she was trying not to cry.  
  
"Oh," she said. This was not what she had intended to do. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah," Kai said, snapping out of it and letting go of the stone. "Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"So, do you have anything to eat around here? I'm starved!" Tristan said.  
  
Kai laughed. "Yeah, but nothing suitable for guests. How about we go to Randy's Pizzeria in town? I don't want to poison you!"  
  
They laughed and agreed. Kai led the way out the front door, grabbing her purse on the way.  
  
"It's on me!" she said as her new friends followed.  
  
"I like the way that sounds!" Joey said and Kai laughed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hey Carlos," Kai said to the guy behind the counter at Randy's Pizzeria.  
  
"Kai! Good to see you! Who are your friends?" Carlos replied.  
  
"Yugi, Tristan, Tea, Joey and Bakura," she replied.  
  
"I've heard of guy magnets, but this is ridiculous!" he joked.  
  
"Carlos!" Kai exclaimed, going slightly pink in the face. Yami chuckled at the young man's joke. "We're best friends. This is what I get for having a guy for a friend," she joked.  
  
Carlos grinned. "What type of pizza will you have?" he asked.  
  
"Pepperoni all right?" Kai asked, turning to her friends.  
  
"Yeah, okay."  
  
"Sure!"  
  
"That's a large pepperoni then," Kai said.  
  
"Comin' right up Miss. Kai," Carlos said with a sweeping bow.  
  
Kai rolled her eyes but Tea couldn't help noticing that her friend was a bit red in the face.  
  
"Come on. Let's go get a seat," Kai said. She led them to a nice window table and they sat down. "Carlos is always like that. He's weird," she explained with a laugh.  
  
"I think he's nice," Tea said.  
  
"Yeah, he is," Kai agreed, giving Carlos a sideways look. She grinned as he looked her way and tossed the dough in the air with a spin.  
  
"So, what are you doing here?" Kai asked, looking at Yugi.  
  
"We're looking for a good practice spot for dueling," he replied.  
  
"Oh. I take it you haven't found one yet?" Kai asked.  
  
"No, we're still looking," Yugi said.  
  
"Well, we have a park here if you guys want to practice."  
  
"That'd be great!" Tristan exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, thanks, Kai!" Tea said.  
  
"But don't expect to duel me. I don't have a deck," Kai said with a small laugh.  
  
"Oh, that's okay. You can watch us if you want," Yugi said.  
  
"Okay," she replied, but Tea thought she seemed less than enthusiastic.  
  
The rest of dinner was eaten in a pleasant silence and Kai and Carlos waved to each other before they left.  
  
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a/n: That's the first chapter in my first fic, Dilemma. PLEASE review and tell me how you like it. I intend for this to get better and more interesting. Maybe not in the next chapter, but DEFINITELY in the one after that. Please review! I am welcoming any suggestions and if I use them, I will give credit where credit is due. Flames are also welcome, though I'm not sure how you could flame something that has barely enough there to make a worthwhile chapter. Write whatever you think of my fic so far please. 


	2. Define Cook

a/n: This is the second chapter and I am requesting that you review it PLEASE!!  
  
Once again, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters.  
  
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"Yami, do you want to take over for a while?" Yugi was standing next to his counter-part. Yami hadn't been out and around to just hang out in a while and Yugi thought that it would do him some good to have fun.  
  
"Are you sure you don't mind?" Yami asked, a little confused about what brought this on.  
  
"Go ahead! You'll have fun; Kai's really nice," Yugi said.  
  
Yami nodded. He had been watching every once in a while and Kai had indeed seemed nice. She was certainly enthusiastic. He had wondered why she had seemed uninterested in Duel Monsters, but the thought had soon passed from his mind. He would have fun he supposed. It was kind of Yugi to think of him.  
  
The puzzle glowed as the switch took place and when the door to the bedroom opened, it was Yami who stepped out instead of Yugi.  
  
"Hey, Yami," Tea greeted, coming out of the bedroom she shared with Kai. Kai was in the kitchen with the rest of the gang.  
  
Yami nodded good morning and followed her into the kitchen to the others.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kai was trying desperately to make scrambled eggs while her friends chattered away happily at the table.  
  
"Oh! Ouch!" she yelped as she touched the metal part of the pot handle. The eggs were beginning to turn black and she moaned, embarrassed that this would be what she'd be serving her friends on their first morning at her house. Running cold water over her hand, she reached for the spatula. She pried the eggs off the pan and they fell in a clump on the plate.  
  
Gulping, she set it in front of Joey. "Err, sorry about that. I'm really not a good cook."  
  
Joey stared at it. "What is it?" he asked, prodding it with his fork. Tea kicked him under the table as Kai went bright red.  
  
The rest of their eggs looked very similar, but her friends ate without complaint. Kai was very grateful for the silence.  
  
When she handed Yami his plate, she tried not to look him in the eye. She could feel her face grow hot as the plate connected with the table. Despite the pathetic impression of food in front of him, he smiled warmly at her. She returned the smile, though hers looked somewhat pained.  
  
As their eyes locked for a split second, Kai felt an odd sensation in her body. It was as if she had suddenly gotten pins and needles all over. She felt slightly dizzy for a few moments, but she recovered quickly and the feeling was gone.  
  
Brushing that aside, she sat down to her own "breakfast." Not a word was spoken as they ate. Kai felt very stupid and embarrassed.  
  
After breakfast, Kai cleaned the table and put the dishes in the sink. Sighing, she began to wash them. She heard her friends leave and enter the boys' room, leaving her alone.  
  
Glancing over her shoulder at the empty kitchen table, there was a sadness in her heart. She had had potential friends... did she just ruin it with her pathetic attempt at food? She had never been able to cook. Her grandmother had always done it. Then when she left... Kai was forced to do it herself. How could her grandmother not teach her how? How could she leave her to flounder like that? To make a fool of herself?  
  
A solitary tear fell from her eye. She had left over a year ago but it seemed like it was only yesterday. She could still hear her grandmother's soothing voice. She could still see her face. How pretty it had been to Kai. A strong jaw and kind eyes, her Gran had been the most attractive person she had ever met. Maybe not at first, but when you learned of her personality... She gave new meaning to the phrase "Beauty is only skin deep."  
  
Coming back into reality, Kai realized her neck was cramping from staring over her shoulder. Turning back to the dishes, she massaged the back of her neck with one hand. Drying her eyes, she soaped up the sponge and proceeded to wash the dishes.  
  
A cup, a plate, a few pieces of food in the drain. Kai didn't realize that her mind was wandering. She placed the last glass into the dish rack and rinsed the sponge. Setting it on the sink, she emptied the drain, following the same routine she had created long ago. She picked up the dish towel and began to dry the clean dishes in the rack. As she dried each one, she put it away.  
  
A few minutes passed and soon she had finished. She heard laughter coming from the boys' room and she wished she was in there, laughing with them. Pushing that aside, she tore a paper towel off the roll and dried the counter where water had splashed. Using that towel, she wiped down the table and dried it. She sighed as she saw that no one had even bothered to push in their chairs. Nobody but one. One chair at the table had been pushed in. Yami's.  
  
It was small, but it made Kai smile none the less. Pushing the other chairs in, she wondered if she should join the others in the bedroom. They sounded like they were having so much fun... should she try to join it? Or would they see it as an interruption? Kai stood there with one hand on a chair, staring down the hall at their room. It was her house, she could go where she wanted. So why did she feel so uncomfortable?  
  
She wanted to be accepted as their friend; she didn't have many. What should she do? If they had wanted her company, wouldn't they have stayed in the kitchen instead of going off without a word to her? Or was that just their way?  
  
They would have spoken a few words to her had they wanted her to join them, even if it were only to tell her where they were going and to come in when she had finished with the dishes. But they didn't. Had her so-called cooking made that much of a bad impression? She supposed it could have. She had only met them the night before.  
  
With a disappointed look, she went to the couch, grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil on her way. Sitting down, she leaned on the coffee table, pencil poised above the paper...  
  
~%~  
  
"Where's Kai?" Tea asked after a while.  
  
"I don't know. I thought she'd come in when she finished the dishes," Tristan said.  
  
"I'll go see where she is," Yami volunteered. He stood and opened the door. Even from where he was he could see her in the living room, bent over something. His curiosity overwhelmed him and he said nothing to the others, closing the door behind him as he left.  
  
He slowly approached the couch from behind. "What are you doing?" he asked as he neared. He came around the back of the couch as Kai jumped and folded a piece of paper in half and covering it with her arm.  
  
"Nothing," she replied quickly as he sat down next to her. She gave the paper another fold under her hand and tucked into her sleeve. She buried the pencil between the cushions with her other hand.  
  
Yami's curiosity grew, but he didn't ask again. "Why are you out here?"  
  
"Uh..." she stuttered. What should she tell him? Surely not that she was afraid to go in. "I... had other things to do." It was somewhat true.  
  
Yami could see she was uncomfortable and didn't press the subject. Kai looked around the room, at the door, anywhere but at Yami. "Sooo," she said slowly, her eyes passing quickly over his face.  
  
"We were going to go to the park to duel. Do you want to come?" he asked.  
  
"No, you go ahead." She was less than interested in Duel Monsters. She wasn't sure why exactly, but it just wasn't the type of game she liked.  
  
Yami was a bit surprised at this, but recovered quickly. "We will at least need directions."  
  
"Oh, yeah, okay," she said. Yami could sense that something was wrong. She was avoiding looking at him and she was fiddling with her necklace.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked, leaning forward to look her in the face. Turning her head briefly in his direction and back, she nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, realizing her nervous habit and bringing her hand back down to her lap.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Kai looked over the back of the couch to see Joey and his friends.  
  
"Talking," she replied, turning around again. Why did she feel so out of place?  
  
"Are you gonna' come watch us duel?" Joey asked, dropping onto the couch next to her. Suddenly, he jumped up, rubbing his butt. "Aaah! What was that?" He dug the pencil out from between the cushions and held it up.  
  
Snatching it away, Kai stood up. "Uh... thanks, I've... I've been looking for that," she stammered.  
  
The others gave her curious looks. Yami wondered why she was acting so strange.  
  
"So are you coming?" Tristan asked as Joey sat down again. Though he made sure there were no more pencils in the couch before he did.  
  
"No, I'll stay here," she replied, wrapping her arms around her middle and turning away.  
  
"Hey, what's that?" Joey's voice made her look over her shoulder. He was holding a piece of paper that had been folded over.  
  
"Nothing," she practically cried as she dived for it. Kai managed to snatch it out of his hand before he could open it. "Nothing," she repeated. She put it safely in her pocket and placed the pencil back on the table where she had found it.  
  
"Are you feeling okay?" Tea asked, giving Kai a concerned look.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied. "You'll need directions on how to get to the park. It's easy to get there though. It's basically just a straight line. Leave my house and make a left. Follow the road past Randy's Pizzeria a ways. The park will be on your right. Pretty straight forward," she said.  
  
"Okay, see you later. Come on guys!" Joey said, jumping up and heading for the front door.  
  
"Bye," Tea said, waving to Kai as she and the others followed Joey. There was a slight look of concern on her face, but Kai didn't notice.  
  
Yami said nothing, but looked over his shoulder at her once before closing the door behind him. She had seemed upset about something, he assessed as he began to follow his friends. But why? What had she been hiding? What had been on that paper? Why hadn't she wanted him or Joey to see it? She was being so odd. Was she just uncomfortable about breakfast? It had been bad, but it shouldn't have caused her to act like this. What was it?  
  
~%~  
  
Kai stared at the door after Yami closed it. They had been so eager to leave her. Leave her alone there by herself.  
  
Alone.  
  
Just like her grandmother had.  
  
Alone. What a horrible word. She had been alone for nearly a year now with just a few friends to hang out with once in a while.  
  
And now Yami and his friends had left her alone. She wanted more than anything to be their friend. To be able to spend time with them and laugh and joke the way they did. How wonderful that would be. But they didn't seem to want that. Or they wouldn't have just left her alone.  
  
Sighing, she entered her room and dropped onto her bed. She felt the paper in her back pocket and threw it into the trash, hoping never to see it again. Her aim was excellent; the paper ball fell dead in the center of the pail.  
  
Kai stared at it with an utmost hatred for a few seconds before getting up and pulling out a pack of cards from her drawer. Sitting back down on the bed, she shuffled the deck repeatedly. She then laid the cards out and began to play a game she was well skilled in.  
  
Solitaire.  
  
~%~  
  
Yami couldn't stop thinking of the way Kai had been acting earlier. So upset... distracted. She had been preoccupied. But what with?  
  
Yami couldn't stand it any longer. He wanted to know what it was. They had almost reached Randy's Pizzeria when he announced that he was going back.  
  
"Huh? Why?" Joey asked, turning around and staring at him in shock. The others turned as well and gave him puzzled looks.  
  
"I don't feel right leaving Kai there by herself," he replied.  
  
"What do you mean? She's been alone plenty of times," Joey said.  
  
"That's not what I meant. We're her guests. I feel like someone should be paying attention to her. You go on. I'll see you later," he said.  
  
"Is it that or do you just want to be alone with her?" Joey asked, folding his arms.  
  
"No," Yami said, giving Joey a penetrating look. With that he turned and headed back to the house.  
  
"See you later," Tea said, slightly confused.  
  
~%~  
  
Kai was on her third game of solitaire. It had gotten to be so boring, but she continued none the less. What else had she to do?  
  
Placing the two of hearts on the three, she won again. She sighed as she reshuffled.  
  
"Kai?"  
  
She snapped her head up and dropped the cards all over. Putting a hand to her chest, she breathed heavily. "You scared the living daylights out of me!" she said as Yami chuckled.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked, entering her room.  
  
"Well, I was playing solitaire. I guess now I'm playing fifty-two pick-up!" she said with a laugh as she bent to pick up the cards that had fallen. Yami laughed too and stooped to help her. "That was fast," she said. "You weren't gone for very long at all."  
  
"I didn't feel like playing Duel Monsters, so I let the others go on without me," he said, handing her the cards he had picked up. They stood and Kai put the deck back together.  
  
"Oh," she said, surprised. "So now what?"  
  
"I was hoping you'd know," he said with a slight laugh.  
  
"Uh..." She looked around the room. "Wait! Do you know how to play spit?"  
  
Yami stared at her. "No," he said. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.  
  
Kai laughed at his confused face. "Oh, it's nothing like that! It's a card game." She held up the cards and indicated them.  
  
Yami breathed in relief slightly. "I don't know how to play that."  
  
"It's easy. But it requires speed and lots of it. You want to play?"  
  
Kai seemed much more enthusiastic now. Maybe it was because she had something to do. She did seem sort of bored when he had first come into her room. Yami nodded.  
  
"But you'll have to teach me the rules," he said, sitting next to her on the bed.  
  
"No problem. But we have to go in the living room. We have to be across from each other to play this."  
  
Yami nodded and followed her to the living room. Pushing the coffee table away from the couch, she sat down on the floor and indicated for Yami to do the same on the other side of the table.  
  
"Okay. It's pretty simple, really," she said as she cut the deck in half. "Shuffle these." She handed half the deck to Yami and he obeyed as she did the same.  
  
"Now count out fifteen cards." She counted her own out while she spoke. Yami was somewhat impressed with the speed that she took the cards from the deck and put them on the table. He followed suit, though he was slower by far.  
  
"Sort them by what they are. So you'll put queens with queens and twos with twos." Once again, she did this with such speed that he could barely see her hand. He did the same; this time he came close to matching her in speed.  
  
"Okay, now put the rest of your deck here, opposite mine," she said as she place her own deck between them and to the right. He put his to his right and waited for more instructions.  
  
"We both will flip a card from our decks over, but don't yet. When you flip..." She turned a card from the top of her deck and put it face up to the left of the deck. It was a five. "You can either go up or down... meaning that you can either place a four or a six on that and go from there. You can change whenever you want whether you're going up or down too. So you could go five, four, five six, five, etc., etc. You can also do the same thing on the other person's pile. So while you're reaching for a card, I could snake mine in and put it there instead. If we run out of moves in both piles, we both flip over another card and the game continues. What it all boils down to in the end, is whoever has no cards left has to hit the pile with the least cards in it." Kai smacked the five that was face up. "If that person isn't fast enough though, the other one can slap it, even if they haven't used up their cards. If you're not sure which one is smaller, get both of them. The winner takes the smallest and the remainder of the other players cards and the loser gets the bigger pile. That's the first round. The game continues until someone has no deck from which to flip cards. Then there's only one pile to flip with and play on. Then, whoever runs out of cards, has to slap the pile with no cards in it." She hit the table next to Yami's deck as a demonstration. "If the player who hasn't gotten rid of their cards yet gets it, the game continues. If the person who has run out of cards in both their deck and playing cards gets it, the game is over and that player wins. If there is not enough cards in one person's deck to play a full fifteen, the other has to give them some cards. Do you gave all that?" Kai asked, putting the two face up cards under her deck.  
  
"I think so," Yami replied.  
  
"Well then, let's go."  
  
They grinned at each other as they flipped...  
  
_________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
a/n: Cliffhanger! Okay, next chapter should be up soon, but PLEASE review this! Let me know how you like it (or how you dislike it). The next chapter is where it should begin to get more interesting I think. I apologize in advance if it isn't.  
  
P.S. My chapters will come out relatively quickly, so if you like my story, save it! Don't forget about it because I WILL continue soon! I mean, like in a few days or so. Okay, bye for now. REVIEW PLEASE!! 


	3. The Insult

a/n: Okay, here we go again. My story will get more interesting I promise...  
  
Please read and review!  
  
May as well stick a disclaimer in here too: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, even though I wish I did!  
  
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))  
  
Queen, King, Ace, King, Ace, two, three, two, Ace...  
  
Kai's hands flew to back and forth to her pile with speed that Yami had never seen before. He was going relatively quickly, but not fast enough. Kai slipped a seven on top of his eight. He tried to put another seven down to continue with a six, but Kai got there first with a nine. Yami was out of moves. He couldn't do anything with her pile and everything he had in front of him now was lower than an eight. All he could do was watch as Kai used up her cards.  
  
As she put the last card down, Yami attempted to slap her pile, which was the smallest, but she got there a long time before he even moved. He was losing badly. Kai now needed him to give her cards, therefore she had none to flip. It would be all up to his pile.  
  
He flipped.  
  
Four. Immediately Kai was on it with a three, two, Ace... Yami managed to get in with a King, Queen... Kai brought it down with a Jack. Yami brought it up with another Queen. His speed was getting better, though it still couldn't rival Kai's.  
  
Jack, ten, nine, ten...  
  
Jack, Queen, King, Queen...  
  
Yami was out of moves again. All he could do was wait for Kai's last card. As she put down the last Ace, Yami went for the table. Kai saw him move and her hesitation was all he needed.  
  
Yami felt the wood of the coffee table under his hand and he knew he had won the round. He hadn't lost the game yet.  
  
They grinned at each other and reshuffled their decks, Yami now in the lead with the smaller of the two. It was amazing to him how fast the game could turn. It reminded him of Duel Monsters.  
  
They flipped.  
  
Kai distracted him by going for his deck first. She couldn't do anything with her own and his was perfect for her hand. Nine, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, seven, six, five...  
  
Yami managed to go to her deck with a Queen, Jack, Queen, King, Ace...  
  
Before he could place another card down, however, he realized her hand was in the way. While he had been concentrating on getting his cards down, Kai had run out. She was once again in the lead.  
  
Another game went by and Kai was victorious again. Yami found himself giving her more cards and he flipped. This time he got to it first. Seven, eight, nine, eight, seven...  
  
Kai interrupted. Six, five, six, five, four...  
  
Yami once again took control with a three, two, Ace, King, Queen, King... He reached for another card, but realized there wasn't one. He had run out! He went for the table, but Kai's hand got there first, resulting in his landing on top of hers.  
  
"I win, Yugi. I have no more cards," she said with a victorious smile.  
  
"I see that. Good job," he replied, extending his hand over the table to shake. She took it as the door to the house opened.  
  
Joey, Tristan, Bakura and Tea entered the living room as Kai cleaned up the cards.  
  
"What are you doing?" Joey asked, dropping onto the couch.  
  
"Playing Spit," Kai replied, standing and wrapping a rubber band around the cards.  
  
"What's that?" Tea asked, sitting beside Joey.  
  
"It's a card game," she replied, placing the deck on the table.  
  
"So you ditched Duel Monsters only to play another card game?" Joey asked Yami, who remained silent.  
  
"It was my idea," Kai said.  
  
"So, what's for dinner?" Tristan asked, now sitting on the other side of Joey.  
  
"I don't know, what do you want?" Kai asked.  
  
"Anything edible," Joey replied. Tea elbowed him as Kai went red slightly.  
  
"Uh, right. Uh..." she stuttered.  
  
"Didn't your Gran ever teach you to cook?" Joey asked.  
  
"Well, no, not really..." Kai felt her face growing hot.  
  
"What kind of mother doesn't teach her daughter to cook?" he asked carelessly. He stood and attempted to go into the kitchen, but he didn't get very far.  
  
Yami knew at once that his friend had said the wrong thing. Kai's eyes blazed in fury as she swung her hand out to hit Joey's face. He fell back onto the couch, rubbing his cheek and staring at Kai, astonished by her sudden outburst.  
  
"Don't you ever talk about my grandmother that way! She was an excellent mother! She was the only one I ever knew! How dare you insult her like that! You never knew her and you don't know me! So why don't you keep your comments to yourself!" she shouted before storming out the front door, slamming it behind her.  
  
"I was only joking," Joey said, still in a state of shock.  
  
"Why on Earth would you joke like that, Joey?" Tea asked, hitting her friend in the back of the head. "You saw the minute we got here she was sensitive about that!"  
  
"I didn't mean to make her mad; I was just kidding!" he protested.  
  
Yami said nothing to Joey, but made his way out the front door to Kai.  
  
She was sitting on the steps, glaring at the road, tears streaming down her face. "Are you all right?" Yami asked gently, sitting beside her.  
  
"I'm fine," she said, not taking her eyes off the road. Kai wiped the tears away, but they were only replaced by more.  
  
"You shouldn't let Joey bother you. He says things like that all the time. He didn't mean for it to be an insult."  
  
"Yeah, but it was," she replied. "If you really don't want to be here then why don't you just leave?" She stood and walked over to the tall oak in the middle of her yard, placing a hand on it.  
  
"What makes you think we don't want to be here?" Yami asked, following her.  
  
Kai hesitated for a second. "Because... because earlier today you guys just got up and left the table without even saying anything to me. You didn't come out to see where I was until you wanted to go play Duel Monsters."  
  
"You mean after breakfast?" he asked, standing behind her. "We thought you would just come in when you had finished with the dishes. We didn't mean to make you feel excluded."  
  
"Maybe you didn't, but Joey and the others..."  
  
"They didn't either. Kai, Joey is weird sometimes. Don't let him get to you. We want to stay here... if you'll allow us to." Yami put a hand on her shoulder and she looked at it.  
  
"Of course I'll allow you to," she said softly. She turned around and wiped the tears away. This time they weren't replaced. "I hope I didn't hurt Joey. I'm really sensitive about Gran."  
  
Yami chuckled, his hand still on her shoulder. "He's needed that for a long time." She gave a small laugh and looked at him. "Let's go back inside."  
  
Kai nodded and they walked back to the house.  
  
"Kai, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to insult you," Joey said when she came into the living room.  
  
"It's okay. I'm sorry I hit you," she replied.  
  
"I deserved it," Joey responded.  
  
Kai was about to say something when the phone rang. "Just a sec," she said as she ran to pick up the phone. "Hello?" she said, holding the receiver to her ear.  
  
"What are you doing tonight?" came the voice on the other end.  
  
"Uh, nothing. What about you?" she asked. Covering the mouthpiece, she said to the others, "It's Carlos."  
  
They nodded and began a conversation.  
  
"We're having lasagna tonight. You want to have a break from your usual dinner disasters and come over?" he asked.  
  
"Oh! Yeah! Sure! Hey, can I bring my friends?" she asked.  
  
"Uh, I guess so, sure. The friends from Randy's Pizzeria yesterday?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay. Just stay out of the bedrooms with all those guys," Carlos joked.  
  
"Shut up," she said with a laugh. If he had been standing there she would have smacked him in the back of the head.  
  
"Have I ever?"  
  
"You know, one day they're going to find you and put you in that rubber room they have reserved just for you."  
  
"And you'll be in there right along with me."  
  
"Yeah, right. You wish."  
  
"Being alone with you? Are you kidding? I'm wishing for that not to happen!"  
  
"Oh, sure. You know you want me," Kai joked. Yami overheard and raised his eyebrows. Joey snickered and the other three exchanged confused looks.  
  
"Yeah, about as much as I want my sister," he teased back.  
  
They both laughed and Kai said that they'd be over in a few minutes. The two of them hung up and Kai jumped over the back of the couch, landing beside Joey.  
  
"What do you say to going over to the Trevino's and having lasagna? Carlos' mom makes killer lasagna," she said.  
  
Joey refrained from saying, "If it's anything like yours, I'm sure it's killer." He knew that would upset her and he didn't really feel like getting hit again. He settled for, "Sure."  
  
"Sounds good!" Tea said.  
  
"Lasagna always is!" Tristan replied.  
  
"Not if I'm the chef," Kai joked, standing and heading for the door. The rest of them laughed and followed her out.  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
"Where's Elaine?" Kai asked. She was in the kitchen with Carlos while his mother showed the others their seats in the living room.  
  
"She's spending the night at her friend's... Charlotte I think," he replied. His sister was mature for fifteen, and Kai sometimes hung out with her, but nowhere near as much as with Carlos.  
  
"Oh. Do you need any help?" she asked him.  
  
"Nah. I'm done," With that, Carlos took the pan of lasagna into the living room with Kai behind him.  
  
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a/n: Third chapter! Wow, I'm getting these out fast. More to come soon! Please Read and Review! Sorry it hasn't gotten interesting yet... it will! I promise! Keep reading please! 


	4. Three Person Skit

a/n: And away we go! *grins stupidly*  
  
/Anything like this is in italics/  
  
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"So, Kai, how have you been?" Mrs. Trevino asked.  
  
"I've been pretty good," Kai replied.  
  
The gang, Kai, Mr. and Mrs. Trevino and Carlos were all sitting at the dining room table.  
  
"You're one of the only things my son talks about," Carlos' father said, earning himself a glare from his son.  
  
"Really? That is so sweet," Kai teased in a high girly voice. She put her hand on Carlos', who was sitting beside her.  
  
"Oh, shut up," he replied, moving his hand so hers fell off. There was a grin on his face though as the rest of the table laughed.  
  
"So what's he got to say about me?" Kai asked, a wicked grin on her face as she asked his parents the question.  
  
"Nothing positive if that's what you're wondering," Carlos replied for them.  
  
"Now I'm insulted," she said, folding her arms and looking away with her nose in the air.  
  
"Oh, no! Whatever will I do?" he asked, putting a hand to his face before smacking Kai in the back of the head. "Shut up and eat," he said, grinning and going back to his own food.  
  
"So you think you can tell me what do, hmmm?" she asked, the grin coming back as she jabbed him in the side with a finger.  
  
"Hey! Cut that out!" he replied, laughing and brushing her hand away.  
  
"Oooh! Ticklish, are we? Well, well, you learn a new thing every day!" Kai said, attempting at full force to tickle him.  
  
Carlos, in his own attempts to push her away, nearly knocked his plate to the floor along with everything on it. "Come on! I know you're ticklish too! Get /away/!"  
  
"Alright you two. Cut it out before you break something. Besides, your food's getting cold," Mrs. Trevino said.  
  
The rest of the gang had been watching with interest as Kai humiliated her best friend. Joey, who was sitting beside her, was actually cheering her on.  
  
Carlos sat up and muttered so only Kai could hear, "I'll get you for that."  
  
"Oh, I'm terrified," she muttered back in a flat tone.  
  
"You should be," he said through a mouthful of lasagna.  
  
"For crying out loud, Carlos, don't talk with your mouth full!" Mrs. Trevino exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, Carlos. It's absolutely revolting!" Kai joked with a grin.  
  
"You mean like you?" he asked with as innocent a grin as he could manage.  
  
This was almost as good as a movie. Yami and the others sat listening intently to the sarcasm being sent between the two friends. At times, Yami had nearly choked on his drink when a particularly funny line had been said.  
  
"You want to see revolting, look in a mirror," Kai taunted back.  
  
"There's no stopping those two," Carlos' mother said to her husband, who shook his head.  
  
"You'd think she was his sister instead of Elaine," Mr. Trevino said. His wife nodded and took another bite of food.  
  
"Oh, come on, you know no woman can resist me," Carlos said, running a hand through his thick black hair.  
  
"Yeah, you just send them screaming in the opposite direction," Kai said, finishing the lasagna on her plate.  
  
"I don't know, you've stuck around," he said, folding his arms and looking at her.  
  
"Only because you're so easy to torment. I have to have a few laughs once in a while, don't I?"  
  
"Torment? I'll show you torment!" Carlos said reaching for her. She instinctively moved backwards into Joey, who moved tried to push her off him.  
  
Kai squeaked and jumped up from the table. Carlos followed suit and chased her down the hall to his room, all the while yelling, "Get back here! I'll get you for that! I'll show /you/ torment!"  
  
"Guess they've finished," Mrs. Trevino said, looking at their empty chairs. She got a few laughs out of them and soon they had all finished.  
  
"Why don't you go in with Carlos and Kai. Keep them out of trouble," Mr. Trevino said to Yami and the gang.  
  
"What do you mean by /that/?" Tea asked as she and the others stood.  
  
He chuckled. "No, I mean that they'll probably kill each other if someone doesn't keep an eye on them. They have a definite love-hate relationship."  
  
"Oh," Tea said, breathing slightly in relief.  
  
"Well, let's go," Joey said, following the way Carlos and Kai had gone a few minutes earlier.  
  
*******************************************************************************************************************  
  
"I'm going to get you for that! Tickle /me/ why don't you!" Carlos cried in mock anger as he tossed his friend onto the bed.  
  
Kai laughed and sat up. "Yup! And don't forget calling you revolting!" she reminded him.  
  
"I have half a mind to knock you silly!" he said.  
  
"It wouldn't do any good; I'm already silly!"  
  
"All right, knock you /out/!" Carlos said, jumping onto the bed and pinning her down. "At least I'd get some peace and quiet."  
  
"Quiet? With you around? You'd talk /yourself/ into insanity!" Kai laughed, struggling to get away but to no avail.  
  
"Is that so?" Carlos asked, Kai saying it at the same time.  
  
"You're so predictable, Carlos!" she teased.  
  
Carlos' POV  
  
I had been in this position with her many times before. From when she first moved here all the way up to now I had always been able to pin her down with ease. But now it wasn't just because she got on my nerves or teased me to the point of distraction. Well, okay, that was /part/ of it, but there was also more.  
  
Predictable? Me? I had never been predictable. And this was the first time she had caught me on it. She had never been able to say something at the exact time as me before. I was always saying something new. Had I really become predictable?  
  
I could prove her wrong. With her just lying there staring at me with that grin I could prove her wrong so easily. Should I do it? Yes...  
  
Reader's POV  
  
"Hey, uh, are we interrupting something?" Joey's voice stopped Carlos. Managing to keep a groan in as he got up off of Kai, he turned to see the gang standing there, Joey and Tristan with their arms folded and raised eyebrows.  
  
"Oh, hey guys. You're just in time to see me tickle Carlos to death!" Kai said as she attacked her friend's ribs from behind.  
  
Carlos wrapped his arms around his middle and burst out laughing, trying to get away from her. His strength was usually greater, but when he couldn't breathe from laughter, Kai had the advantage.  
  
"Cut it /wheeze/ out!" he cried. Kai pulled him onto the bed and continued with her attack.  
  
"Not so macho anymore, are you?" she asked, an evil grin spread across her face.  
  
"Kai-Tara Lee! I'll get you for this!" he cried, his eyes squeezed shut from laughing so hard.  
  
"Not if you're laughing you're not!"  
  
"Let go of me right now!" he cried.  
  
"You wish!" Kai said with a laugh.  
  
"Come on! Please?"  
  
"Well, since you asked so nicely..." Kai lifted her hands above her head and backed up away from him quickly.  
  
He sat up, his face bright red. "You're going to pay for that Kai!"  
  
She squeaked and hid behind Bakura. "Oooh! Hide me!" she said, only half joking.  
  
"Yeah, right. You won't get away with this!" Carlos said, coming up to Bakura who backed up into the hall, taking Kai with him. "Kai, get over here!" Carlos reached around Bakura and grabbed his best friend's arm.  
  
Practically cackling with laughter, Kai was dragged out from behind her friend. "Bakura! Help!" she called.  
  
Getting into it, Bakura grabbed Kai's other arm and the two guys played tug of war with her. They pulled her back and forth, her laughing in the middle.  
  
"Hey! Let go of her! I have to get my revenge!" Carlos said, grinning.  
  
"Bakura! Don't let go! He's pure evil! Help me!" Kai laughed.  
  
Tea, Tristan and Joey were laughing so hard they were in danger of falling over. Even Yami was laughing harder than normal.  
  
"Don't worry! I've got you!" Bakura said as Carlos gave a hard tug and Kai's hand slid slightly from his grip.  
  
"Eeee! Bakura!" Kai cried.  
  
"You two are going to rip her apart!" Tea said.  
  
"I've heard of two guys fighting over the same girl, but this is ridiculous!" Tristan cracked.  
  
Regaining his hold, Bakura gave a pull as Kai squeaked again. Carlos wasn't expecting it and Kai's hand slipped out of his. Bakura and Kai stumbled backwards as Carlos stood there, a bit confused.  
  
"Oh, my hero," Kai said, taking Bakura's hands in her own. "You saved me from the evil sorcerer who tried to kidnap me." Everyone cracked up, including Bakura, who went slightly red. Kai was struggling very hard to keep a straight face and she wasn't succeeding very well. "Now we will live happily ever after from now until forever," she said, pressing her cheek against Bakura's, making him go a deeper shade of red as he laughed along with everyone else.  
  
Carlos was laughing so hard he fell onto the bed and couldn't breathe. Yami was laughing harder than he probably ever had in his life, and Tea, Tristan and Joey had to hold onto each other for support. Yami could hear Yugi's uncontrollable laughter in his mind and trying to picture what his counter-part must look like, only made him laugh harder.  
  
Regaining control of himself, Carlos stood up and grabbed Kai's wrist, pulling her away from Bakura.  
  
"Now you will come with me and I will inflict my powers of tickle torture on you!" he said, pulling her towards the bed.  
  
"Bakura! Help! Oh, help!" Kai exclaimed, reaching out to him with her other arm, tears leaking out of her eyes from laughing so hard.  
  
"No, evil sorcerer! You won't take her!" Bakura said, unsheathing an imaginary sword. "Release her now!" he said, grinning.  
  
Carlos threw her down onto the bed and pulled out his own imaginary sword.  
  
"Oh, Bakura! Be careful!" Kai cried, reaching for him.  
  
"Now we will fight to the death!" Carlos cried as the two guys pretended to fence.  
  
The three of them were laughing so hard it was becoming difficult to continue with their ridiculous skit. After a few minutes of Carlos and Bakura sword fighting and Kai's occasional, "Bakura! Look out! He'll skewer you!", Bakura pointed over Carlos' shoulder.  
  
"Oh, look over there!" he said.  
  
Carlos turned, allowing his 'enemy' to stab him in the stomach. Gripping at the imaginary sword, Carlos made a number of choking sounds and stumbled stupidly around for a few seconds. He then made a greatly exaggerated fall and lay there on the floor, unmoving, with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Joey actually did fall down laughing at this, followed shortly by Tristan. Yami and Tea were now holding themselves up on opposite sides of the doorframe.  
  
"Oh, Bakura!" Kai said, as he walked over to her after sheathing his 'sword' again. She gazed up at him with exaggerated adoration in her eyes and a grin so stupid it was hard for Bakura to keep his face straight.  
  
"Now I will take you to my castle and we will live happily ever after, just as we were meant to be," he said, taking her hands and bringing her to her feet. At that all three of them joined the others in a fit of laughter, Bakura and Kai holding each other up, Carlos' arms wrapped around him, trying to control himself, but to no avail.  
  
"I think we just made the Guineas Book of World Records for dumbest three person skit ever done!" Kai said, after she could breathe again.  
  
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a/n: Hope you liked that. I'm proud of my three person skit. I thought it was kind of funny. I hope you thought so too. I hope I got Bakura's character right... Anyway, please review! 


	5. Best Friends

a/n: This is a really bad connector chapter, but here it is anyway...  
  
Just a reminder... /anything like this is in italics/  
  
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"What on Earth is going on in here?" Mr. Trevino stood in the doorframe to Carlos' room. Carlos was on the floor, trying to catch his breath, Kai and Bakura sat on the bed, every once in a while catching each other's eye and laughing, Joey, Tristan and Tea were all huddled in a lump on the floor trying to breathe, and Yami was regaining his control while leaning against the doorway.  
  
"We were just... playing a game," Kai said, giggling and Bakura had to put a hand over his mouth to stop from bursting out laughing. Carlos flung his arm over his eyes and snorted with laughter.  
  
"That's a very loud game you're playing. Try to keep it down, okay," Mr. Trevino said, shaking his head. With that, he left, leaving the seven teens to themselves.  
  
Kai fell back on the bed and sighed happily, a grin on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun.  
  
Bakura sat there, his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Looking at his friends, he saw that they had mostly calmed down. Yami was back to his normal pulled-together self, and though the others were still on the floor, they only had stupid grins on their faces. Carlos still had his arm over his face, but he looked as though he was breathing again.  
  
"So, Carlos, now what?" Kai asked, sitting up. Bakura took his hand away from his mouth and managed not to laugh.  
  
"Go suck on a lemon," was Carlos' reply.  
  
"You look like you were weaned on one," Kai teased.  
  
- Here we go again, - Bakura thought with a mental chuckle. He enjoyed watching the best friends. Their sarcasm was better than the latest horror movie.  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Carlos exclaimed, sitting up. "You /never/ have anything nice to say to me!"  
  
"And you're /always/ showering /me/ with compliments," Kai said dryly.  
  
"Don't you have something to do? Besides sitting around adoring me I mean."  
  
Bakura bit his tongue in an effort not to laugh.  
  
"Adore /you/? You /have/ to be kidding me! In your /dreams/!" Kai exclaimed, pointing at him.  
  
"In /your/ dreams you mean. I know you can't resist me," Carlos said, standing. He folded his arms and looked at her.  
  
"Carlos, any dream with you in it is a nightmare," Kai shot back.  
  
"You scream my name in the middle of the night," he said, grinning.  
  
"I wake up screaming," she corrected.  
  
"Don't you two ever stop?" Tea asked, astonished that they could go on for so long. She, Joey and Tristan had finally managed to get to their feet.  
  
"No," they replied in unison. They grinned at each other as there were a few chuckles around the room.  
  
Kai looked at her watch and her mouth dropped open. "You guys it's nine o' clock!" she said. "We'd better go."  
  
"Whoa! Nine?" Carlos asked, checking his own watch.  
  
"What, don't believe me?" Kai said, standing along with Bakura. Carlos just glared at her.  
  
"You'd better get home. I'll see you out," he said, and they made their way to the front door, pausing to say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Trevino on the way.  
  
"See you later Carlos," Kai said, play punching him in the arm. He, in turn, jabbed her in the ribs with his finger.  
  
"Bye, Carlos!" Tea said, heading into the front yard.  
  
"Yeah, thanks for the food," Joey said, following her. Tristan, Yami and Bakura also said good-bye.  
  
Kai was the last to leave. As she turned to go, Carlos gave her a swift kick in the butt. She cried out and jumped forward, allowing him to close the door before she could strike back.  
  
"Carlos Trevino!" she yelled, banging on the door. "I can't believe you! Get out here right now! I'll get you for that!"  
  
Yami and the others laughed as she stuck her tongue out at the door and turned around, rubbing her butt.  
  
"I can't believe he did that!" she said, leading the way home in the dark. "Well, wait a minute. I suppose I can... it's Carlos." She shook her head.  
  
She hated walking at night, but having her friends with her made it more tolerable. She felt safer.  
  
"That show you guys put on in there was great!" Joey exclaimed with a laugh. Kai felt herself go red.  
  
She hadn't really meant for it to get quite so out of hand. Had she not been with Carlos she never would have done those things. She hoped she hadn't embarrassed Bakura too badly.  
  
Bakura blushed and was very thankful it was dark so no one saw. He had had fun, but he knew that he would never live this down with Joey.  
  
"Yeah, you were hilarious!" Tristan remarked.  
  
Yami glanced at Kai who was walking beside him. He chuckled as she gave an embarrassed laugh. He too had loved the trio's performance, but refrained from saying so, knowing it would only add to his friends' embarrassment.  
  
"Did you ever think of a career in acting?" Tea asked, half joking.  
  
"You mean acting stupid?" Joey cracked and they all laughed, including Kai. She could appreciate jokes like that because she hung out with Carlos.  
  
They reached Kai's door shortly after and she was very thankful for that. She went to bed quickly, therefore she didn't have to endure any more of the others' wise cracks.  
  
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As she crawled under her blankets, she had a slight pain just behind her temple. Rubbing the side of her head, it soon faded. Thinking nothing of it, she fell asleep...  
  
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a/n: Whew. Glad that one's over. I hate connector chapters. Well, I'll try to post again tomorrow. Please review.  
  
P.S. Just in case you were wondering...  
  
I'm trying to keep this fic as much to the TV program as possible, so Tea, Tristan and Joey know about Yami, but Bakura doesn't. He doesn't know about the spirit of the Millennium Ring either. I don't know how he could miss that, but I didn't write the program. Anyway, just in case you were wondering why sometimes Yami was called Yugi and other times called by his true name. 


	6. the Intruder

a/n: Another chapter...  
  
(Disclaimer) *sighs* I have to do this every time I mention something that isn't mine. Okay, I forgot to do this last chapter so... I don't own the card game Spit. Nor the Yu-Gi-Oh characters, even though I wish I did. Glad that's over... On with the show!  
  
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- What is with this headache? - Kai's head had been hurting since the moment she had woken up. She had taken Advil, but it hadn't worked.  
  
"Kai, are you okay?" Tea asked as her friend rubbed her temple.  
  
"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel like someone hit me in the head with a sledgehammer," Kai joked with a bit of a wince.  
  
"Did you take something for it?" Tea asked, slightly concerned.  
  
Kai began to nod, then stopped quickly for it made her head hurt worse. "Yeah, Advil."  
  
"Well, I hope it feels better."  
  
"Oh, I assure you, /it/ feels fine," Kai said. "It's me with the problem!"  
  
Tea laughed and shook her head at her friend's weird sense of humor.  
  
Tea and Kai were in their bedroom chatting while the boys were in theirs.  
  
"Anyway... what was I saying?" Kai asked, interrupting herself.  
  
"Um... I'm not sure!" Tea said, blushing slightly.  
  
"Weren't you listening?" Kai said, laughing.  
  
"Well, I thought I was!"  
  
The both of them cracked up and didn't stop laughing until Kai heard a familiar sound. She held up a hand to signal her friend to silence.  
  
"Huh? What is it?" Tea asked as Kai sat on the bed with her hand up and her ear turned to the bedroom door, listening.  
  
"Sshh," her friend whispered, almost scared. "I heard the door."  
  
"What?" Tea was sufficiently confused, though the tone in Kai's voice was making her nervous.  
  
"The front door!" Kai whispered urgently. "Someone's broken in!"  
  
"What?" Tea hissed. "How do you know? Maybe you're wrong!"  
  
"I'm not. I know the sound of my door. It always creaks and it was plain as day just... Shut up!" Kai put a hand over Tea's mouth, making her jump back.  
  
"Mmfp!" Tea tried, through her friend's hand.  
  
"Quiet!" Kai removed her hand and Tea sat there, petrified. "Get under the bed."  
  
The brunette moved so fast she nearly fell off the bed. Scrambling under it, she was breathing heavily. "What are you doing?" she whispered, panicky.  
  
"I've got to warn the guys!" Kai hissed back, silently getting off the bed and walking over to the door slowly. She pressed her ear to the door and listened carefully. She heard cabinets being opened in the kitchen and she saw her chance. "Stay here!"  
  
With that, Kai opened the door, peeking around it. When the coast was clear she darted across the hall, closing her door behind her, sealing Tea inside. Kai heard footsteps and, her heart pounding, she opened the boys door. She slipped inside and immediately ran over to Joey, clapping a hand over his mouth.  
  
"Shut up! Don't move!" she whispered. "There's someone in the house!"  
  
Yami sat up and stared at her, listening. "What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
Joey ripped her hand from his mouth and stared at them. "There's one of him and six of us! We can take him!"  
  
"We don't know there's only one and /shut up/! He could have buddies inside, or outside! And what if he has a gun?"  
  
"Well we can't just sit here and wait!" Tristan said.  
  
"We've got to..." Kai was cut short by a piercing scream.  
  
"Tea!" everyone cried, staring wide-eyed at each other. They were frozen for a split second before ripping open their door to find the one across the hall already open.  
  
Kai led the way into the room and stopped short when she saw someone stand up from one side of the bed.  
  
Kai screamed when she saw him...  
  
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a/n: Aren't I evil? *heh heh heh* Major cliffhanger. Well, review please and I'll post... later. 


	7. Invitation

a/n: For all you who wanted to know who the intruder was...  
  
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Kai's scream mixed with the intruder's and for a second they just stood there, petrified. Yami and the others couldn't move. They couldn't even scream; their vocal cords seemed to have frozen.  
  
Suddenly everything was quiet. Everyone stared at each other for a few seconds before Kai's piercing voice sounded.  
  
"/Carlos Trevino!/" she screamed, taking a few long strides over to him. Kai started hitting her friend wherever she could reach. "You moron! What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Ow! Stop! Hey! I'm sorry! Cut that out! That hurts!" Carlos cried, backing up, trying to get away from Kai.  
  
"You idiot! You scared us all out of our minds! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Kai exclaimed, still pounding Carlos.  
  
Tea came out from under the bed and backed up with the others. The five of them just watched for a few seconds while Kai pummeled her best friend in fury.  
  
Yami was the first to come out of the trance. He began to chuckle, resulting in Joey starting to laugh. Tristan followed suit and then Tea and Bakura. Soon they were all laughing at Kai's furious intent on seriously hurting Carlos.  
  
"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she screamed at him.  
  
"Kai! Will you stop it!" Carlos grabbed her wrist and she swung at him with the other one.  
  
"You idiot! Were you trying to kill me?" Kai cried, smacking him in the head.  
  
Carlos managed to grab her other wrist and hold her away from him. "Calm down! You're going to kill /me/!"  
  
Breathing heavily, Kai glared at him. "You are such a jerk, did you know that?" she snarled.  
  
"Well, I do now. Thank you for clarifying that," Carlos said as she ripped herself from his grip. Yami saw a grin flit across Carlos' face as Kai turned her back on him.  
  
Kai stopped directly in front of Yami and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. He stared at her curiously as she opened her eyes.  
  
"There isn't a word to describe what you are!" she said, turning back to Carlos and pointing at him. "I could call you all the names in the world and it wouldn't be good enough!"  
  
"Well, then, save yourself the trouble," Carlos replied, back to his quick witted self.  
  
"Oooh! You make me so mad!" Kai said, turning once more and storming out of the room.  
  
Carlos had just humiliated her in front of her new friends. It was times like these that she didn't understand why he was her best friend.  
  
Yami chuckled as Kai pushed past him through her bedroom door. She sure had attitude.  
  
"Hey! Get back here!" Carlos said, pushing past Yami as well, though more forcefully. "I wanted to talk to you!"  
  
"Oh I'll talk to you all right!" Kai said, turning on her heel, making him stop dead in his tracks slightly more than an inch away from her. She jabbed a finger into his chest and he grinned.  
  
"I simply wanted to..." he started, but Kai interrupted.  
  
"Wanted to what?" she said. Though she still glared at him, her tone was becoming lighter.  
  
"You do know what tomorrow is, right?" he asked, grinning at her.  
  
"Um, Thursday?" she asked, confused.  
  
"The date, Kai. What /date/ is tomorrow?"  
  
"I don't know, why?" she asked, removing her finger from his chest.  
  
"The fourth of July," he said, looking at her like she was insane. "You know, Independence Day?"  
  
"I know what the fourth of July is you moron," she said, hitting him in the arm.  
  
"Well? I came over to ask if you wanted to watch the fireworks with me tomorrow night," Carlos said.  
  
Yami and the others had come into the hall and were watching as well as listening.  
  
"You wanted to know if I wanted to watch the fireworks," Kai repeated. "So you came in without knocking and scared the pants off me and my friends."  
  
"I did knock!" Carlos protested. "But you didn't hear me. And you forgot to lock the door, so I just let myself in. I didn't mean to scare you. But it was pretty funny," he said, grinning as Kai hit him in the head.  
  
"You snake!" she said, though she was now grinning as well. "Okay, fine. I'll watch the fireworks with you tomorrow, but they can come too." Kai pointed over Carlos' shoulder at the gang and he followed her finger.  
  
"Right, sure," he said. Tea thought she noticed a slight change in his tone however.  
  
"Good. Now, it's two in the afternoon. What are we doing now?" Kai asked.  
  
"I don't know. What do you want to do?" Carlos asked.  
  
"I hate it when you do this!" Kai said, rolling her eyes and going over to the couch. She dropped onto it and put her feet up on the coffee table.  
  
"I know. Isn't it great?" he said, plopping down beside her and flinging an arm around her shoulders.  
  
Yami and the others filtered into the room and took seats on the couch and in the chair. Yami and Joey were left to stand though.  
  
"You're crazy," was Kai's reply.  
  
"It takes one to know one," Carlos said smoothly with a grin. Kai hit him in the head.  
  
"You two are really something," Tea said with a shake of her head.  
  
"Hey I know! Why don't we show your friends what you can... mpff!" Kai slapped a hand over her friend's mouth.  
  
"Shut up!" she hissed dangerously.  
  
Carlos licked her hand in reply.  
  
"Eeeew! Carlos! You are so gross!" she screamed, wiping her hand on his shirt. Carlos began to crack up as Kai's wiping turned to hitting.  
  
"Hey! Okay, okay, I get it! I'm sorry!" Carlos cried, pushing her away. "Come on stop it!"  
  
She hit him once more in the back of the head before folding her arms across her chest.  
  
"I have an idea! Why don't you leave!" Kai said with fake enthusiasm.  
  
"Aww come on!" Carlos replied, putting an arm around her again. "You know you love me."  
  
Kai yetched and pushed him away. "The only one who'd love you is your mother!"  
  
Carlos pursed his lips and pretended to kiss her, earning himself another smack in the head. "Gee wiz you're violent!" he exclaimed, rubbing his head.  
  
"I learned from the best," she replied dryly, scooting away from him towards Tea.  
  
"Oh! Hey! I'm not violent! At least, not like that!" Carlos protested.  
  
"Aren't we interesting?" Kai asked Tea sarcastically.  
  
Tea just grinned and stared at her friend like she was from another planet.  
  
"Come on!" Carlos exclaimed, reaching for Kai, who jumped up from the couch. "You're not getting away that fast!" He leaped after her and after a few seconds of struggling, managed to wrap his arms around her waist from behind and prevent her from moving.  
  
Kai stopped moving for a second, then stomped on his foot, making the rest of the room erupt into laughter.  
  
"Yoooww!" He exclaimed, letting go of her. "You're gonna' pay for that!" he cried as Kai took off towards the front door.  
  
She opened it wide and swung around behind it. When she saw Carlos come out, she moved back around it, closing it quickly. Carlos realized what was happening too late and Kai locked him outside.  
  
"Open this door!" he cried, banging on it.  
  
"You know, I could, but what fun would that be?" Kai asked her friends, who chuckled.  
  
"I'll be back tomorrow! You just wait!" Carlos cried, and he turned to go home.  
  
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a/n: Okay, next chapter will be the next day! Don't forget to review all you peoples! ^_^ 


	8. The Fourth Of July

a/n: Okay, another chapter. This one's boring, but it's important. So read and you'll understand what happens in the next chapters and why...  
  
Oh, and don't forget to REVIEW!!!  
  
(I own the word 'bladdaggit' so don't worry about it) ^_^  
  
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Kai was in the middle of trying to fry eggs when there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Bladdaggit," she said as she flipped the eggs over, breaking the yolks. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" she exclaimed, running to the door. She pulled it open to reveal a grinning Carlos.  
  
"Hello," he said. She closed the door in his face, but didn't lock it.  
  
She went back to the eggs, which were now stuck to the pan. "Dang it!" She scraped the pan free of egg, but what was supposed to be eggs over easy, were now scrambled and black.  
  
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Carlos asked after he had come into the kitchen. He completely missed the fact that Yami and the gang were sitting at the table.  
  
"'Cause you're annoying. Here, do something useful. Wash the dishes," Kai said, throwing the sponge at him.  
  
"Uh, uh. No way. I'm not scraping off all the stuff /you/ burnt on. You do it," he said, dropping it in the sink.  
  
"Do you want breakfast?" she asked absently without looking at her best friend.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, eyeing what used to be eggs in the frying pan. "But... um... it doesn't look like I'm getting breakfast today. That doesn't qualify."  
  
"Can you do better?" she asked, knowing very well that he could. He just raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Think about that. Do you really want me to answer?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, shut up," she said, putting the last plate on the table. "Yours is over there," she said, pointing to an empty seat on one side of Yami.  
  
"Oh, um... thanks. I'll see if I can chew it," Carlos kidded as he sat down.  
  
"It's not that bad," Yami said as Kai frowned.  
  
She looked at him and smiled graciously.  
  
Carlos, however, snorted. "Yeah, it's worse!" he said, nearly choking on his drink from laughing at his own joke.  
  
Kai glared at him, then scooted her chair over to Yami and looped her arm through his. "At least /Yugi's/ nice to me." She smiled up at Yami, who stared back, somewhat surprised.  
  
Everyone at the table was laughing at Kai except for Carlos. No one noticed that his face had suddenly gotten serious.  
  
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"Come on Kai! Get out of the bathroom! Your hair is fine! We'll be late!"  
  
Kai had barricaded herself in the bathroom and was trying desperately to get her hair to do what she wanted, but it wasn't working.  
  
"Hold /on/! I'll be out in a minute!" she said, sighing as she brushed out her hair. She supposed she'd just have to leave it down.  
  
"That's what you've been saying for the past half hour!" Carlos said, continuing to bang on the door.  
  
"I'm coming out!" she said, frustrated as she opened the door. Carlos backed away from the door to allow her to come out.  
  
"/Now/ can we go? Or do you have to do your make-up too?" he asked dryly.  
  
"Yeah, we can go. Now, move!" Kai replied, pushing him ahead of her.  
  
Sighing, Carlos led the way out the door and to the park. The gang walked in silence except for Tea and Kai chattering about something that the guys had absolutely no interest in.  
  
They reached the park a little while later and by that time the fireworks had already started.  
  
"Come on! They've already started! You can see it the best over here!" Carlos exclaimed, running ahead to the edge of a stream that went through the park.  
  
Carlos sat down, followed by Kai, Yami and the rest of the gang.  
  
"Wow... it's beautiful!" Kai whispered as a red and gold firework erupted in the night sky.  
  
Carlos looked at her out of the corner of his eye and grinned. "Yeah," he said, reaching to put an arm around her.  
  
Kai stared at him and backed away, grinning. She thought he was joking around. She leaned against Yami, who was sitting on the other side of her. He looked down at her, shocked. He could hear Yugi chuckling in his mind.  
  
- What's so funny, Yugi? -  
  
- Nothing... it's nothing. -  
  
Kai stayed there with her head on her shoulder and Yami wasn't sure what to do. He didn't notice Carlos giving him a death glare.  
  
- Yugi? Now what do I do? - He didn't really know if Yugi would know, but it was worth a shot. He was becoming very uncomfortable with the situation.  
  
- Put your arm around her I guess. I think she's used to treating guys like this 'cause Carlos is her best friend, - Yugi said.  
  
It made sense, Yami realized. She didn't know she was making him uncomfortable because she did this sort of thing with Carlos all the time. Figuring he might as well, he put his arm around her. At this she looked up at him and laughed, then replaced her head on his shoulder. She was kidding around and Yami guessed he'd play along too.  
  
The fireworks were absolutely beautiful. Green, red, blue... you name a color, it was there. Carlos continuously looked over at Kai and Yami, annoyed. He hadn't wanted /them/ to come. This was supposed to be just Kai and him. And now look at what had happened. He wasn't really paying attention to the fireworks. His mind was on the fact that now he had competition...  
  
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a/n: FINALLY!! Yay! Now I can get to the good part. Review and I'll post! The more reviews the faster I'll post! 


	9. Movie Time

a/n: Hey! This is where it starts to get good, so read and review! I know, I know, it took me long enough, right? SORRY!!  
  
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- I wish this headache would go away. -  
  
Kai was sitting in her room, rubbing her temple. Flipping through a few papers, she sighed, crumpling them and tossing them in the trash. They were never any good.  
  
The door opened and Kai snapped her head up. "Tea! You scared me," she said, putting a hand over her heart and breathing in relief.  
  
Tea laughed. "Sorry. What are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing," Kai said, waving it away. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Same thing. Isn't it interesting?" Tea asked, sitting beside her friend on the bed.  
  
They both laughed.  
  
"What are the boys doing?" Kai asked.  
  
The brunette shrugged. "Talking about Duel Monsters. Well, Tristan, Joey and Bakura are. Yugi's reading."  
  
Kai nodded. "What would you say to going to a movie tonight?" she asked.  
  
"Oh? Which one?" Tea replied.  
  
"'Cujo.' See, Carlos and I have movie night every Friday. One week he chooses the movie, and the next I do. And I picked 'Cujo'," she said.  
  
"Oh," Tea said after a second. "What's that about?"  
  
"It's a horror about a rabid dog," Kai said matter of factly.  
  
"Sounds... fascinating," Tea said, trying to sound interested. - What's the point in watching a movie about a rabid dog? - But she didn't want to insult Kai, so she agreed to go.  
  
"Great! I'll check if the guys want to come too." Kai got off the bed and went across the hall. She stopped just before turning the handle. - It would probably be best to knock first, - she thought with a laugh. She rapped three times on the door and a few seconds later, Joey opened it.  
  
"What's up?" he asked, letting her and Tea in.  
  
Yami was lounging on the bed reading a book. When Kai entered, he looked up briefly, then went back to reading.  
  
"Carlos, Tea and I are going to see 'Cujo' tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to come too," she said.  
  
"Oh, man! I've been dying to see that!" Joey exclaimed. "Count me in!"  
  
"All right," Bakura said.  
  
"Sounds like fun," Tristan replied.  
  
Yami was concentrating on reading his book, but soon realized that he had been reading the same sentence over and over. He noticed the room had gotten very quiet and he glanced up to find them all looking at him.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Are you coming to the movie or not?" Joey asked impatiently.  
  
Yami looked at him blankly. Movie? What movie? Trying to cover up his ignorance, he just nodded.  
  
His answer seemed to satisfy them because they began to talk about what he assumed must be the movie they were going to see.  
  
Figuring he'd better listen so he didn't look like an idiot when he didn't know what movie it was, he closed the book. He didn't really know what was happening in it anyway. His mind had been wandering from the minute he had picked it up. Holding it and flipping a page once in a while allowed him to drift away without anyone bothering him. He didn't remember what he had been thinking about, but he figured it must not have been important, otherwise he would have remembered it.  
  
Tuning back into reality, he heard Kai say Carlos' name.  
  
"...we usually go to a movie every week," she was saying. "We alternate who picks the movie. It's my turn tonight. And I picked 'Cujo.'"  
  
Cujo. He hadn't heard of it. What was it about? It sounded like a horror. He didn't mind horrors. At least it wasn't a romance. He stifled a laugh when he thought about himself watching a romance. He'd probably throw up.  
  
"Carlos is going to come over to walk with us at about four tonight," Kai said, looking at her watch.  
  
Yami glanced at the clock across the room. Two thirty. He had some time to kill. So he picked his book up again. He heard the others talking about the movie and figured they wouldn't notice if he read. He began to read the same sentence again and again once more and he had to concentrate on the plot to move on. He still had absolutely no idea what was happening in it and he was about a quarter way through it.  
  
"What are you reading?"  
  
Yami jumped at the sound of Kai's voice and jumped for a second time when he realized she was sitting next to him on the bed.  
  
"Uh..." What was he reading? He checked the cover quickly and told her the name.  
  
"You had to check?" Kai laughed. He just grinned absently.  
  
"I'm going to go do the dishes," Kai announced, standing and heading for the door.  
  
"Have fun," Joey said and she rolled her eyes.  
  
She sighed as she stared at the pile of dishes in the sink. She hated doing the dishes, but they had to be done. She picked up the sponge and set to work.  
  
She was about halfway through when Yami came up next to her.  
  
"Do you want some help?" he asked, picking up a towel.  
  
"Sure, thanks," Kai replied, grateful for his assistance.  
  
He started drying the dishes that Kai put in the drain and stacking them neatly on the counter afterwards. After a while, the silence got to be a bit unnerving, so he just said something out of the blue.  
  
"How long have you and Carlos known each other?"  
  
"Nearly all our lives. I met him when I first moved here with Gran I think," she replied, looking up at the ceiling as if she were thinking about it.  
  
"You've been best friends since you met?" Yami really wasn't that interested in the answer; he just didn't like the silence that would be there if he didn't ask the questions.  
  
"Yup. I guess you could say we were just made to be," Kai said, smiling at him. "He gets a little annoying sometimes and his head is so swelled it's amazing he can get through my doorway, but he's a nice guy."  
  
Yami laughed and set another bowl on the counter. Kai and Carlos did seem to get along incredibly well. So well, it would be easy for someone to think they were dating.  
  
He was trying to think of something else to say when he got a spray of cold water in his face. He wiped the water out of eyes and saw Kai standing there with the sink spritzer, laughing so hard she was in danger of falling over. Yami stood there for a few seconds, stunned.  
  
Then he grabbed the spritzer out of Kai's hands and squirted her. She squealed and put her arm up to block her face. When he released the trigger, Kai grabbed hold of it and they started wrestling for it. Both of them were getting very wet and they were laughing hysterically.  
  
"Wait!" Kai finally cried. "Wait, hold it!" Yami stopped struggling for the spritzer, but didn't let go. "I have an idea!" With that she let go of it and ran to her room. Yami sprayed her in the back as she went with a laugh. He leaned against the sink and felt his shirt. It was soaked.  
  
"Yugi?" Yami looked up and saw Tea, Joey, Bakura and Tristan standing in the doorway. He felt himself go slightly pink in the face. He realized he must look awful stupid standing at the sink holding the spritzer, soaked to the skin.  
  
"What on Earth are you doing?" Tea asked. Yami opened his mouth to explain, but Kai came running out of her room holding something over her head.  
  
"I've got -!" she cried just before she slammed into Joey. She had seen him too late to stop her momentum and the result was a painful collision. Everyone started to laugh. Kai and Joey did too after they caught their breath.  
  
A few minutes later, after everyone had calmed down, Kai spoke. "I have an idea!" Yami looked at what she was holding for the first time since she had come out of her room and saw what it was. It was a pack of balloons.  
  
- What are those for? - he thought.  
  
Kai answered that in her next sentence, though. "Anyone up for a water balloon fight?" The reply was a number of cheers and excited whoops. "Come on, let's fill these up."  
  
Yami put the spritzer back in it's holder as Kai made her way over to the sink. She almost slipped on the water that was on the floor, but regained her balance quickly as Yami gave a small laugh. She ignored him and put the mouth of the first balloon over the faucet and turned on the water. When it was full, she shut off the tap and tied the balloon.  
  
"You can use the bathroom sink too," Kai said, filling the next one. Tea, Joey and Bakura grabbed some balloons and set of at a run for the bathroom.  
  
Yami and Kai took turns putting water in the balloons and soon they had run out. At about the same time, the other three came out of the bathroom, each with an armload of water bombs. It took all six of them to get all of them outside and a number were popped on their way down onto the porch.  
  
"Okay, you all know how to play, so get ready..." Kai said and each of them picked up a few balloons. "Get set..." Everyone got a balloon at the ready. "GO!!"  
  
Water was suddenly everywhere. There were screams of delight as people were hit and slowly they learned to duck behind trees and hide until the time was right. Kai had already been wet from her fight with Yami earlier, but by the time she hid around the side of her house, she was drenched. Giggling, she saw a perfect opening to hit Tea in the back and she prepared to take it...  
  
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a/n: Yay! Finally, easy chapters. Here is where it starts to get interesting, so keep reading and of course... REVIEWING!!! 


	10. Cujo

a/n: Hello to all the nice people who reviewed. I'm gonna' crank these next chapters out easily. So get ready to check every day or so! (Oh, and tell your friends about my fics please because I want to get at least five reviews on each chapter before I update. Come on, that's not too much to ask, is it?)  
  
(Disclaimer) Oh, yeah. I don't own 'Cujo.' That's Stephen King's, who ROCKS!!!  
  
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Yami hadn't had this much fun in a long time. The water was cold, but he hardly noticed. He was having the time of his life and he had especially loved the expression on Joey's face when he had hit him square in the face with a balloon. Yami thought he was soaked before, but it was nothing compared to what he was now. He didn't think there was even a word to describe how wet he was.  
  
"Tristan!" he yelled, running backwards as his friend turned around. Pitching a miss at him, Yami turned and ran around the side of the house. But no sooner had he turned the corner, he ran head on into Kai. She had been coming around to take a shot at Tea, but the balloon never even left her hand.  
  
They cried out as they landed on the ground. Kai got hit the hardest; she landed underneath Yami. They stared at each other for a few seconds, trying to catch their breath. Then, Yami suddenly became aware of the situation and rolled off her. He stood up, back toward her, because he could feel the fact that he was red in the face. He was surprised to see that his balloon had somehow made it to the ground without popping and he picked it up. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Kai sit up.  
  
She reached behind her and groaned as she picked up the remnants of her balloon. Yami laughed and extended his hand to help her up. She took it and grinned.  
  
"Now," Kai said, backing into the house and glancing around the corner as if she were in some spy movie. "My mission. Get to the porch, grab a balloon or two, and then /war/!" she laughed.  
  
Yami laughed too as she leaned around the corner again. "I've got your back," he said, backing up against the house next to her and holding his balloon as much like a gun as possible. "Go," he said, grinning.  
  
Kai glanced around the corner once more before darting out into the open. Yami came out and diverted Tristan's attention to himself by tossing his water bomb at him. He dodged Tristan's balloon and ran to the porch for more ammunition.  
  
Kai was already off and Yami couldn't see her through all the water flying everywhere. He didn't have much time too look, though, for Tristan was coming at him again. Yami tossed a balloon at him and hit his friend in the shoulder. They both laughed and Yami set off toward the street. It wasn't soon after that he heard Kai call his name from somewhere over by the driveway. He turned before he had a chance to stop himself and the result was a face full of water.  
  
He recovered quickly and threw one back at her. She squealed and ducked, allowing the water balloon to hit Carlos square in the nose. Yami couldn't control himself. He burst out laughing at the look on Carlos' face.  
  
Turning around, Kai started laughing too when she saw her friend. "When did you get here?" she asked when she had calmed down.  
  
"Just a few minutes ago. I was dry then," Carlos replied with a sour look.  
  
"Oh, cheer up. We're all soaked too if you haven't noticed," Kai laughed. Yami walked up and stood beside her. "What time is it?" she asked.  
  
"Four," he replied. "The movie starts at four thirty. We should leave now, but I don't think the owner would be too pleased if we showed up drenched."  
  
"Is there a later showing?" Kai asked.  
  
"Uh, I think so."  
  
"Cool, we'll go then. What time does that start?" she asked.  
  
"I think it starts at seven," he replied. Yami could see Carlos wasn't happy about changing the time of the movie. It was also clear that he didn't appreciate Yami hitting him with a water balloon, on purpose or not.  
  
"OKAY GUYS!" Kai cried to get her friends' attention. They stopped and looked at her, most with silly grins on their faces. "Time to dry off and get ready for the movie! It starts at seven."  
  
With that, Kai took off to change with Yami and Carlos close behind. Before she entered the house, she assigned Tea, Tristan and Bakura to pick up all the little balloon pieces and Joey was in charge of walking around with a bag for the garbage. Yami and Carlos got the job of drying the kitchen.  
  
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????  
  
"How did this water get everywhere?" Carlos asked sourly as he picked up the towel that was heavy from all the water. He dropped it in the sink with a loud plop.  
  
Yami couldn't hold in a grin. "I don't know," he lied. He wondered what was wrong with Carlos. He seemed to be in a very bad mood. But Yami was so happy from the water balloon fight that Carlos didn't bother him in the slightest.  
  
Kai came out of her room nice and dry in a denim skirt and jacket over a blue tee shirt. "How's it coming?" she asked, picking up a towel and drying the rest of the dishes.  
  
"We're pretty much finished," Yami said, catching her eye and grinning. Carlos glowered.  
  
"Did you two do this?" he asked, folding his arms.  
  
"You could say that I suppose," Kai said, giving her friend a sly grin. Carlos didn't return it. "Oh, come on. Just because Yugi hit you with a bit of water doesn't mean you have to get all moody. Cheer up already!" Kai said, play punching Carlos in the arm. He sighed loudly but Kai ignored him. "Okay, I'm going to get the fan."  
  
Yami and Carlos stared at her as she darted into the boys room. She came out a moment later, dragging a huge fan behind her. She pulled it into the living room and ran to the front door.  
  
"Come on and dry off!" she shouted. When the others were in the living room, Kai walked around the fan and put her finger just over the button. "This will be a little odd, but it works. I've done it!" With a giggle, she pressed the button and the fan turned on. Everyone laughed, including Carlos, and they stepped in front of it.  
  
Carlos wasn't all that wet, so he didn't stay in front of the fan for very long. He went over and lounged on the couch like he owned it. Kai giggled at him and rolled her eyes. Carlos just grinned.  
  
After a few minutes, Joey pulled off his shirt. "Hey, do you have someplace to hang this or something?" he asked, holding it up.  
  
"Uh..." Kai said, looking around. "Over here!" she said, pulling the curtains open and taking Joey's shirt and draping it over the rod.  
  
"That's a good idea," Bakura said, doing the same. "We'll dry faster this way."  
  
Tristan followed suit and Kai hung their shirts over the rod with Joey's. She looked at Yami, waiting to see if she would be doing the same with his. He shrugged and took it off. It was a good idea, really. Every once in a while, Joey had one of those.  
  
Carlos' smile faded from his face. He folded his arms and pretended not to see Kai watching the other guys with a grin.  
  
"Hey, that's not fair," Tea said in mock anger. "I can't take my shirt off!"  
  
"Sure you can," Carlos teased. His glum mood didn't affect his quick wit at all. Tea glowered at him. "You set yourself up for that one," he said.  
  
Tea had to agree and went slightly red. Kai laughed and leaned against the wall.  
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  
  
In a little while, everyone was about as dry as they were going to get, so Kai handed the boys back their shirts. Carlos scowled when Kai gave Yami's back to him with a smile.  
  
- I'm obviously going to have to act fast now that this Yugi creep is in the picture, - Carlos thought. He hated competition that had any chance of beating him what so ever. He'd have to make absolutely sure that Kai spent more time with him then with Yami. He hadn't been pleased when he realized that Kai had invited this guy and his other friends on their movie night. He had never even brought one friend, let alone five! He had never wanted to. It disturbed him that Kai wanted to invite these guys.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Soon they were on their way to the movie theater. When they arrived, Kai grabbed her wallet. She paid for all their tickets and Carlos bought snacks. Another thing that bugged him. He had to buy snacks for friends that weren't even his! He didn't see this as fair.  
  
In the theater, Tea slid in first with Joey, Tristan, Bakura and Yami behind her. Carlos realized a little too late, and by then there wasn't enough time to go in next so Kai was on the outside. He glowered at Yami in the dark as Kai sat down. Carlos slid in last as the movie started.  
  
Every once in a while, Carlos glanced over at Yami and Kai. Kai was sitting, holding a bucket of popcorn and steadily popping it into her mouth without taking her eyes of the movie. Yami was sitting with his arms on the armrests and every once in a while he'd reach over and take a couple pieces of popcorn out of Kai's bucket. Kai usually never noticed when he did though. She was too wrapped up in the movie.  
  
About halfway through, the popcorn bucket ran out from Kai, Yami and Carlos all sharing it. She put it on the floor and sat back. Now she was just picking up her soda every once in a while and sipping from it, all the while staring at the screen. It amazed Carlos that she could find the drink in the dark without looking at it. She sort of looked like she was in a trance.  
  
MOVIE SCENE...  
  
The boy and his mother were in the car. She was holding onto him. They had gotten away from the dog. It was safe now. Everything was calm. Then the dog jumped up against the window and the music flared.  
  
END MOVIE SCENE...  
  
Kai jumped and grabbed the armrests when Cujo started clawing at the car window. Yami looked at her for a few seconds. She didn't realize until he moved his hand that she had grabbed hold of it when she gripped the armrest. Carlos did though.  
  
"Oh!" she whispered, glad that it was dark because she could feel her face growing hot. "Sorry!" She removed her hands from the armrests and put them firmly in her lap.  
  
Yami gave her a small smile and a nod to let her know it was all right then went back to the movie.  
  
- Just my luck. The one time she gets a bit scared and goes for the armrests, my hand isn't there, it's /Yugi's/! - Carlos glowered at him, though no one saw.  
  
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a/n: Okay, if any of you thought from earlier chapters that Carlos liked Kai, then you were right! More to come and it begins after the movie...  
  
Don't forget to REVIEW!! I want to know if you are liking my fic! 


	11. White Knight

a/n: follow-up on 'Cujo' (which I don't own). I like both chapters actually...  
  
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((  
  
"That was an excellent movie!" Kai said, when they got out. The others nodded in agreement. They were walking back to Kai's in the dark, and usually Kai wouldn't have, but being in a large group made her feel safer.  
  
Carlos was walking on her right and Yami on her left. Tea, Joey, Tristan and Bakura were sort of just walking in no particular line.  
  
"I have to say, it was better than I expected," Carlos said, drawing Kai's attention back to him.  
  
"Of course it was. Have I ever taken you to a movie you didn't like?" Kai asked him. He thought about it for a minute, then shook his head. Kai grinned. She loved being right. "What did you guys think of it?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at the others.  
  
"It was... a horror," Tea said. She didn't normally like watching them.  
  
"Of course it was," Joey said. "With a name like 'Cujo,' what else would it be?" Tea went slightly red and said nothing.  
  
Suddenly the hairs on the back of Kai's neck stood up. "Sshh!" she whispered, stopping. Her friends stopped too and looked at her.  
  
"What is it?" Yami asked. As if to answer his question, there was a rustle in the bushes at the side of the road. Everyone stood still and watched.  
  
"It's probably a squirrel," Carlos said, trying to sound more confident then he was. Right after seeing a horror movie, this wasn't really what he wanted to be hearing.  
  
There was another rustle and a large pit bull darted out into the road and snarled at the seven of them.  
  
Kai cried out and grabbed Yami's arm. "Ohhh," she moaned. "I hate it when he gets loose. It's the Hanson's dog. He's mean as anything and I think he has it in for me!"  
  
"Go away! Go on, get!" Carlos said, waving his arms at it and stepping forward. The dog snarled and barked a few times and Carlos backed up again.  
  
- This is just great. And right after seeing a movie about a rabid /dog/! - Tea thought, backing up with her friends. The dog started to advance on them, it's eyes fixed on Kai.  
  
"Ohhh," she moaned again, squeezing Yami's arm.  
  
The pit bull barked and picked up it's pace to a run. Kai cried out and shielded her face with her arms. Tea and Joey yelled as well and stumbled backwards.  
  
Kai didn't see Yami step in front of her, making the dog come to a screeching halt. Her eyes were shut tightly.  
  
The dog and Yami glared at each other for a few minutes before it turned and ran back into the bushes. Kai opened her eyes and Yami turned around.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked. Kai nodded, very shaken.  
  
"Come on, let's go," Tristan said, starting toward the house again.  
  
"Yeah, before it decides to come back!" Tea said.  
  
Carlos broke away from the group a few minutes later to head to his own house. He had no problem walking around in the dark by himself. He was fuming from seeing Kai grab hold of Yami. He had known her for a much longer time; he could protect her far better than that other snake. She should have reached for him. And who did Yami think he was? Playing the hero and stepping in front of Kai like that? Oh it made Carlos so mad. And jealous.  
  
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  
  
When they got to the house, Tea, Joey, Bakura and Tristan entered first. Before Yami had a chance to go in, Kai put a hand on his shoulder and he turned to her.  
  
"I just want to say... thanks. For back there," she said. It sort of took Yami by surprise, though he wasn't sure why it should.  
  
He nodded as if to say, "You're welcome." Then he turned and entered the house.  
  
Tea, Bakura and Tristan were sitting on the couch and Joey was lounging in the chair.  
  
"It's not likely I'll forget that movie very quickly," Tea was saying.  
  
Tristan nodded. "Especially after tonight."  
  
Kai took a seat next to Bakura on the couch and Yami leaned on the back of it. "That dog is absolutely horrible!" she said, shivering.  
  
"Yeah, too bad Yugi won't be there /all/ the time to save the day," Joey said. Both Kai and Yami went bright red while their friends laughed.  
  
"He was just getting rid of it!" Kai said. "I didn't see you doing anything!"  
  
"Getting rid of it is one thing. Stepping in front of you to defend you is a whole other story," he replied.  
  
"Carlos didn't look to happy when you grabbed onto Yugi's arm. I think he was jealous," Tea said. Kai and Yami went brighter shades of red even still.  
  
"Carlos was just having a bad day I think. He's not normally like that," Kai said. Her friends exchanged looks that said they knew something she didn't. "What?" They shook their heads to say, "Never mind."  
  
Yami scowled. Joey had no right to be pointing fingers. He never got on Joey's case about Mai. And /that/ was obvious. Sometimes it took a lot of will power to suppress those remarks.  
  
"I'm tired, I'm going to bed," Yami said.  
  
"Yeah, me too," Kai agreed, yawning. Tea tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a laugh. Kai gave her a look and she managed to be quiet. "Night."  
  
"Good night."  
  
"See you tomorrow."  
  
"Night."  
  
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////  
  
Kai entered her room and crawled into her sleeping bag. She tried to clear her mind so she could sleep. It always took longer if she was thinking about stuff. But it wouldn't clear.  
  
She kept seeing 'Cujo' and that pit bull. Only the dogs weren't the focal point...  
  
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))  
  
a/n: Okay, your first glimpse at what is to come, so, review, and you'll find out what happens next. 


	12. Meet Elaine

a/n: HERE IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING, SO READ IT AND REVIEW!!!!! The next chapter will be the beginning of EVERYTHING!!!  
  
If you've read my other fics, then you already know why I haven't updated.  
  
  
  
/Kai/.  
  
Her eyes snapped open. /Kai./  
  
"Who is it?" she asked aloud. Tea was asleep and it was a female voice. Was she dreaming?  
  
/Listen to your instincts, Kai./  
  
Sitting up, Kai looked around the room. It was morning, but only just. "W-who are you?" She listened carefully but there was no response. Maybe it was her imagination. Kai laid back down and closed her eyes, but she couldn't sleep anymore. With a sigh, she got up.  
  
Opening the door to her room silently, she went into the living room. She had an urge to call Carlos and tell him about it. Even though it was stupid, after Gran had left, Kai used to hear a lot of things and Carlos was always there for her. He really was a great friend.  
  
Thinking of Carlos made her remember what Tea had said about him the night before. Was he jealous of Yami? She hadn't seen any indication of it. Tea must have been saying things to annoy her. Why would he be jealous of him anyway? Yami was just a friend.  
  
She sat down on the couch and stared at the phone. She couldn't call him. He never liked to get up earlier than ten. Kai checked her watch and moaned. Seven thirty. What would she do until her friends got up? /She/ never even got up this early usually. She could turn on the TV., if there was something decent on at this hour. All the good things came on at night. But she turned it on anyway. What else was there to do? She was in the middle of watching a soap marathon when Joey sat down next to her.  
  
"What are you watching?" he asked.  
  
"Days of Our Lives. It's a marathon. Probably the dumbest thing on right now," Kai replied.  
  
"Then why are you watching it?"  
  
"Because I don't feel like getting the remote and changing the channel."  
  
"Oh. So, what's for breakfast?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. What do you want?" she asked, turning off the TV.  
  
He hesitated for a minute. "How about I make breakfast today?"  
  
Kai rolled her eyes. She knew it wasn't out of kindness. He just didn't want to eat burned eggs again. "Okay. Works for me. Do you know where everything is?" Joey nodded and set to work.  
  
Kai went into her room to wake up Tea, but she was already awake.  
  
"Oh, hi!" Tea said when Kai walked in.  
  
"Hey," Kai said. "Joey's making breakfast now."  
  
Tea's eyes widened. "Joey?"  
  
Kai shrugged and laughed. "I think he got tired of my cooking. If you could call it that!"  
  
Tea laughed and they heard the door to the boys room open. "I think Tristan's going to have a heart attack when he sees Joey in the kitchen!"  
  
They both laughed as they heard Tristan ask Joey what on Earth he was doing.  
  
"Come on, I'm starved," Kai said, heading for the door to her room with Tea close behind her.  
  
Soon they were all seated at the table, eating.  
  
"I never knew you could cook, Joey," Yami said. Joey just shrugged.  
  
"Only some things."  
  
"Well, he's better than me; that's for certain!" Kai said and they laughed. The rest  
  
of breakfast was eaten in a pleasant silence.  
  
That was all right for Yami. He was okay with this type of silence.  
  
He wondered why Yugi hadn't tried to take back control of his body. It definitely seemed he was hiding something from Yami, and he was hiding it well. Yami didn't want to dig into Yugi's thoughts, so Yugi was pretty much safe with whatever he knew that his counterpart didn't. It was odd though.  
  
Yami didn't mind being out and around. He was enjoying it, really. But after a few days, one would think the original owner of the body would want it back.  
  
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{  
  
Yugi was finding this all hilarious. It was amazing how smart someone can be, and then be so dense at the same time. So clueless, even of one's own thoughts. He knew exactly why he was letting Yami use his body for so long, and seeing Yami trying to figure it out cracked him up.  
  
}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}  
  
The phone rang and it surprised Kai to the point of nearly falling off her chair. She grinned, embarrassed, as her friends laughed. She got up as the phone rang again.  
  
"Hello?" she said, picking it up.  
  
"Yo," came the voice of her friend Elaine. Kai laughed. Elaine had a way about her that all she needed to do to amuse Kai was say one word.  
  
"What's up?" Kai asked.  
  
"Carlos said you're hanging with some other guys," Elaine said.  
  
"Yeah. But they're not /all/ guys. There's a girl too," Kai corrected. Yami exchanged confused looks with his friends as Kai stood there, back toward them, talking on the phone.  
  
"Yeah, Carlos mentioned her. Tea, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And Joey, Tristan, Bakura, and Yugi."  
  
"Yeah, that's right," Kai said, a bit confused. She hadn't spoken to Elaine since Yami and his friends started staying with her. Then it clicked on how she knew their names. Carlos must have told her. They were surprisingly close for brother and sister.  
  
"Anyway, Carlos is at Randy's right now and I'm bored. You want to come over? Bring the guys too. Maybe I can snag one," Elaine laughed and so did Kai.  
  
"Okay, what time?" Kai asked.  
  
"How about now?"  
  
"Sure! See you soon." With that, Kai and Elaine hung up. When Kai turned around, she found her friends were watching her.  
  
"Who was that?" Joey asked.  
  
"Elaine Trevino. She wants us to come over. You guys up for it?"  
  
"Yeah, okay!" Tea said.  
  
"Trevino. Isn't that Carlos?" Tristan asked.  
  
"You catch on quick," Kai laughed. "Elaine is his younger sister. She's nice."  
  
"When does she expect us?" Bakura asked.  
  
"About now," Kai said, grinning. "Just leave the dishes. I don't want to do them anyway."  
  
They laughed and followed Kai out the door.  
  
"So, is Elaine anything like Carlos?" Tea asked.  
  
"No, not really," Kai said with a chuckle. "Elaine is always early for stuff and Carlos is always late. Carlos definitely has more of an ego than Elaine."  
  
Her friends laughed.  
  
"And you're best friends with Carlos and not Elaine?" Tea asked. "It seems to me that Elaine would be a better choice."  
  
"It does seem that way, doesn't it? But Carlos and I just... fit. I don't really know how else to say it," Kai explained.  
  
"Where do they live?" Tristan asked.  
  
"A few houses down from me. It takes about all of five minutes to get there."  
  
A few minutes later, Kai turned into the Trevino's driveway. She didn't even have to knock on the door before Elaine answered it.  
  
"I thought you'd /never/ get here!" she exclaimed. "Well, are you going to stand out there all day or are you going to come in?"  
  
Elaine pulled Kai to the side as soon as she walked in the door. "I see you brought the guys," she said, eyeing them. Kai rolled her eyes. Elaine was a bit boy crazy and sometimes it got on her nerves a little. "Well, introduce me!" she exclaimed, poking Kai hard in the arm.  
  
"Ow! Okay, okay, keep your hair on," Kai said, rubbing her upper arm and joining Tea and Bakura on the couch. Yami was leaning against the doorframe to the hallway that led to Elaine's room and Tristan was sitting in the chair while Joey explored the room.  
  
"Elaine," Kai said. "This is Bakura, Tea, Tristan, Yugi, and the snoop is Joey." Joey looked up when he heard his name and grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry," he said.  
  
"Not a problem," Elaine said, grinning.  
  
"So, what -?" Kai started, but Elaine interrupted her.  
  
"How did you start staying with Kai?" Elaine asked.  
  
"It was late and Kai offered us a place to stay. It was really nice of her," Tea said. Kai beamed.  
  
"That's Kai," Elaine laughed. She perched on the armrest Tristan's chair and he gave her a funny look. Kai had to swallow the laugh that was forming in her throat.  
  
"When does Carlos usually get home?" Tea asked.  
  
"About four," Kai and Elaine said in unison. They looked at each other and laughed.  
  
"Kai spends about as much time with Carlos as I do!" Elaine said.  
  
Kai looked at her watch. It was already noon. She wanted him to come home. She enjoyed hanging out with him a bit more than hanging out with Elaine. Carlos was always full of surprises. Elaine was a little more predictable. Not that it was bad. Just right now, she wanted to hang out with Carlos.  
  
"Come on, I'll show you around the house. you haven't seen the entire place yet," Elaine said, getting up.  
  
"Do you mind if I just chill out here? I already know the layout of your house by heart," Kai said.  
  
"Yeah, okay," Elaine said. She left down the hall that Yami was leaning against and Kai's friends followed.  
  
Kai sighed loudly. Elaine's house was much bigger than hers. With three stories and a basement, it would take a while for them to get back.  
  
She tried to ignore the headache she had had since she got up, but it was growing steadily worse. She wondered if her friend had any Advil. Kai got up and headed for the bathroom.  
  
Opening the cabinet, she soon found what she was looking for. She took out two pills and put the container away. Kai then made her way to the kitchen for water to take it with.  
  
She had just poured herself a glass and was swallowing the Advil when she heard a creak behind her. She spun around and choked when she saw Yami standing in the doorway. He laughed and asked if she was all right. Kai nodded and groaned.  
  
"Yuck, pill taste." She took another sip of water to wash it away. "I thought Elaine was showing you guys around."  
  
"She was. She had a ping pong table in the basement and everyone wanted to play. But since there were only four paddles and they needed one referee, I came up here. I'm not good at that game anyway," Yami said.  
  
"Oh. Elaine has a way of being able to leave people out without feeling too bad about it," Kai said. It was one of the flaws her friend had.  
  
"That's all right. I didn't want to play," he replied.  
  
Then Kai had an idea. "I can show you someplace that Elaine doesn't even know about. You want to go?"  
  
"All right," Yami said. He followed her out the back door to the edge of the woods that spread all the way to Kai's house.  
  
"It's through here. Be careful of thorns, and stay close behind me. You could seriously get lost in here. I know, I've done it! That's how I found the place, actually. And then I got lost on my way back. But I know where I'm going now. Come on!" Kai said, starting into the trees. Yami stared at her for a minute. The trees didn't look very inviting. But he followed Kai anyway.  
  
"Careful over here. There's a lot of thorns," Kai said after a while. Yami grabbed a vine between the thorns and lifted it up and ducked under it. He hadn't noticed the one around his ankles.  
  
"Ow!" he cried and dropped the one he was holding. It landed on his shoulder and wouldn't let go.  
  
Kai turned around and laughed. "I told you to be careful," she said, gently untangling him.  
  
"Thank you," he muttered, rubbing his shoulder. He felt sort of stupid. Kai obviously knew what she was doing and he obviously didn't.  
  
"How much further is it?" he asked after a while.  
  
"Not much. Actually..." She pushed a large branch out of the way. "Bingo."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
a/n: Anyone who wants to know what she just showed him has to REVIEW!!! XD I'm evil. *grins evilly* 


	13. Secret Hideout

a/n: Uhhh... Aren't I intelligent? lol  
  
!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!@  
  
She held the branch for Yami, then let it swing back. The scenery here was much different then in the woods. It was a clearing with a few trees here and there and a huge body of water with a fallen oak by it's edge.  
  
Kai grinned at Yami's surprised face, then grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the fallen tree. It was too high to just climb onto, but Kai had moved some large stones over so they could climb up.  
  
She got on first, then extended her hand to help Yami. She then scooted to the middle of the log with him behind her.  
  
"Welcome to my secret hideout," she said when they were settled. Their feet dangled a few feet over the water that stretched as far as the eye could see. "Carlos doesn't even know about this place. I come here sometimes when I just need to clear my mind."  
  
Yami understood how it could help. He had been there for only a few minutes and he already felt more relaxed than he had in a while.  
  
"I found it after Gran left. I took a walk in the woods just to think about stuff and I got lost. Then I came here. I don't know how long I stayed; that's how well it cleared my mind. Then I got lost on my way home," she laughed. But there was a sadness in her eyes as she recalled her grandmother. "It took me a few more times coming here until I got it completely right. Then I marked the way. You can get here from any place in the woods and I know how to get here from all of them, but the fastest way is from my house." There was a moment of silence before Kai continued.  
  
"I used to come here so much in the weeks after that. The water could do for me what Carlos, or anyone else for that matter, couldn't. I'm not sure what that is exactly, but I can still feel it. It's just so peaceful here. Like nothing is wrong. Maybe that's what it is," she said, staring ahead.  
  
Yami watched her for a few seconds. He couldn't decide whether she looked upset or just absent. He turned back to the water and realized she was right. It did help. He hadn't noticed that he was a bit tense, but he could feel himself relaxing.  
  
It felt good to sit there with the warm breeze blowing against his face. He could stay there all day. He would have to come back here. Maybe Kai could take him with her next time she came.  
  
Then another thought came to mind. Why had she shown him? She said Carlos didn't even know. Maybe she just wanted something to do. Or she was going to come here and thought that it wouldn't hurt anything to show him. It wasn't like he was going to tell anyone. She didn't even have to ask him not to. That was a given.  
  
"So what do you think of it?" Kai asked him.  
  
"It's very calming," he replied, looking at her.  
  
"I told you," she said, smiling. He smiled in return, then looked straight ahead. "Makes you want to stay here for ages, doesn't it?"  
  
Yami nodded.  
  
"How often do you come here now?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. It depends on the stress I'm feeling. It varies from day to day. I'm really not all that consistent you know," she said with a laugh. Yami laughed a little too and looked at her. It was almost like time was frozen here. He wondered what time it was, but didn't feel like using the energy to lift his arm to look.  
  
"I sit here for hours just staring out there," Kai said.  
  
Yami nodded in agreement. He could do that too. This was exactly what he needed sometimes.  
  
"You should see it during a sunset. You think this is relaxing," she said, grinning at him. He grinned back. Now she had him curious. Maybe they could come back again later. Or just stay here all day.  
  
"One of the better parts of this place is that you are completely isolated from the rest of the human world. No one to bother or bug you. That's one of the reasons I never brought anyone here," Kai said.  
  
Apparently, he didn't bug her. It was the best indirect complement he had ever received. He wasn't even sure if she had meant it as a compliment. It still made him feel good.  
  
Kai looked at her watch. 2:41. They had been out here for nearly three hours. Somehow, even though time seemed to freeze here, when she looked at her watch, it always appeared to have sped up. It had gone faster today. She no longer felt the urge to hurry back to the house to greet Carlos. Staying here was the only thing on her mind right now.  
  
- A few more minutes, - she thought.  
  
"What time is it?" Yami asked when he saw her check. She told him and he stared at her in surprise. He checked his own watch and confirmed it.  
  
"Time really flies here, doesn't it?" Kai asked. He nodded. "We'd better go. Elaine will wonder where we are. And /that/ would be a bad thing," she said, following Yami off the log.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
She went a bit red. "Uh, well, you'll probably see anyway. Come on."  
  
He gave her a puzzled look but dropped it as he followed her out of the woods. They entered the back door a little while later. Yami had managed not to get snagged by any thorns and was very pleased about that. He followed her to the living room, but she threw out her arm and caught him in the stomach, making him stumble backwards.  
  
"Oh, shoot," she whispered, backing up herself.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, catching his breath.  
  
"Elaine's in there. Uh..." She started thinking quickly. He could almost see the wheels turning in her mind.  
  
"What's the problem?" Yami was incredibly confused.  
  
"There you are!"  
  
Kai groaned when she heard Elaine's voice. - Great. -  
  
"Where have you been? Or don't you want to tell me?" Elaine had a huge grin on her face as she folded her arms.  
  
Yami suddenly understood what Kai had meant. This wasn't going to be good.  
  
"I came up here when you started playing ping pong and Kai was..." he started. He looked at her to finish.  
  
"I was..." she started but Elaine interrupted.  
  
"It's all right. You don't have to lie to /me/. I sneak off like that all the time," she said, grinning wider with every minute. With that she turned and walked back into the living room.  
  
"And you wonder why I like Carlos better," Kai grumbled, her arms folded. She was glaring after Elaine, her face rather red. Yami knew his was red too, so he stood behind a little behind her. Kai sighed loudly and headed into the living room.  
  
Yami considered waiting a little while before going in, so his friends wouldn't assume what Elaine had, but decided that she had probably told them already. He braced himself for what was about to hit and followed Kai.  
  
When he entered, Kai was already seated next to Tea. He leaned against the doorframe and hoped no one would notice him. There were a few sly grins going around, but no remarks or questions.  
  
- They can think whatever, as long as they don't say it aloud, - Yami thought. He wasn't used to this sort of thing and going red in front of Joey would be very bad. He'd never hear the end of it.  
  
"Carlos should be home soon," Elaine was saying, looking at her watch.  
  
- Great. So Elaine can tell him what Yugi and I were "up too." - Kai sat with her arms crossed, a disgusted look on her face. Yami couldn't blame her. He felt as though he could do the same.  
  
Seeing Carlos wasn't exactly what Yami wanted to do. If his mood was anything like what it was the day before, he wasn't going to enjoy Carlos' company much. Yami couldn't help thinking that he might not be as tolerant with him as before. He himself was hardly in a good mood. It was amazing how fast someone could go from a good mood to a bad one.  
  
Then the front door opened.  
  
"I'm... home," Carlos said, pausing for a second when he saw who was in his living room. - What are /they/ doing here? -  
  
"Hey Carlos," Kai said, leaning around the back of the couch to see him.  
  
"Hey," he said, looking around the room. If the rest of them were here, Yami would be too. Carlos saw him in the doorway, leaning against the frame, and held in a scowl.  
  
Kai looked at Elaine out of the corner of her eye. Her friend was grinning widely. - How do I stop her from telling Carlos without telling her where we were? - All of this was making her headache come back.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Carlos asked, dropping onto the couch next to Kai.  
  
"Why, aren't you happy to see me?" Kai asked, grinning despite her mood.  
  
- You, yes. Yugi, no. - "Sure, I'm just surprised you guys are here," he replied.  
  
"Elaine called us over," Kai said.  
  
"Yeah, I was so bored, watching fish would have seemed fascinating," she said. She got laughs out of everyone except Kai and Yami. Kai made a little effort to give a weak smile, but Yami didn't even grin. He didn't much care for Elaine. She shouldn't jump to conclusions about people without at least a little evidence to back it up. Just then, Kai didn't seem to be that fond of her either.  
  
"So," Carlos said, slowly.  
  
"So what?" Elaine asked grinning evilly at Kai, who glared at her.  
  
"What did you /do/, Elaine?" Carlos asked, sighing loudly. Whenever she grinned like that she was hiding something. Most often it was some guy she had just snuck out with. He never told their parents though, so Elaine was pretty okay with telling him about it.  
  
"Ohhh, it wasn't /me/ this time," she said, her grin getting bigger. Carlos looked up.  
  
"What?" What did that mean?  
  
Suddenly Kai felt her headache sear through her mind as if it were a knife. She pressed a hand to her temple and winced.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tea asked, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah," Kai managed to say. "My headache." It was growing worse with every second.  
  
Yami walked over and sat on the coffee table, a concerned look on his face.  
  
"I'll get some Advil," Elaine said, jumping up and running into the bathroom. But Kai knew that Advil wouldn't control this. Despite that, when her friend came back with the medicine and a glass of water, she took it.  
  
"Are you all right?" Carlos asked, looking at her.  
  
As the pain shot through her head again, she stood. "I'll... I'll be right back," she said, heading into the kitchen. She opened the back door and closed it behind her.   
  
Crying out as it seared again, she dropped to her knees and passed out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
a/n: Another cliffhanger! You poor people, I keep doing this to you! Maybe I should stop... nah. Anyways, REVIEW and I'll post the next chapter! 


	14. DCIS

a/n: Here we go. I know, I know, my author's notes suck right? Well, if you don't like them, SKIP THEM!! You don't /have/ to read them. But, if you really have nothing else to do, I guess you can read them if you /really/ want.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"Where is she?" Elaine asked. Kai had been gone for a while now.  
  
"Maybe one of us should go find her," Tea said.  
  
"She's probably faking it," Joey whispered to Elaine, who was sitting next to him. "So you won't tell Carlos about her and Yugi."  
  
Elaine considered that possibility. It was plausible. Kai did do that sometimes. She was probably hiding now that she was out of the room, so that in case Elaine said something, she wouldn't be there for people to see her blush.  
  
Yami was thinking along the same turns, only he thought she was going to that spot in the woods she had shown him earlier. It wasn't a bad idea and he was considering doing that himself. The last thing he needed was Joey to see him go red in the face when Elaine told her brother what she thought had gone on. He'd try to defend himself if he only knew how. How would he do it without telling everyone Kai had a secret hideout?  
  
He had moved to the couch in Kai's seat and he wasn't pleased to see Joey whispering to Elaine.  
  
The more he thought of it, the better escaping this place sounded. Finally, when he saw Elaine start to open her mouth, he said, "I think I know where she is. I'll go see." There were a few snickers around the room as he stood up, but he pretended not to hear.  
  
He went to the back door and opened it, but something stopped it. He looked around the door, confused.  
  
"Kai!" he yelled, dropping to his knees beside her. She wasn't moving. He pushed her onto her back and her head rolled to the side.  
  
Carlos and Elaine stared at each other when they heard Yami's cry. Then, all at the same time, the friends jumped up and ran to the back door.  
  
"What happened?" Tea cried, trying to get outside. "Kai!" she exclaimed when she saw her friend.  
  
Carlos pushed through and shoved Yami to the side when he saw her. "Oh, no," he moaned. He lifted her in his arms and everyone moved aside so he could get through the doorway. Yami got off the ground and followed Carlos inside. He wasn't even mad at him. Not yet anyway.  
  
Carlos laid Kai on the couch and felt her pulse. "It's normal," he informed everyone.  
  
"She must have slipped and hit her head or something," Joey said, leaning over the back of the couch.  
  
What /had/ happened? Yami sat down in the chair and stared at Kai. Had she really fallen, or had it been something else? She seemed to be in more pain from her "headache" then normal. Could she have been lying?  
  
A few minutes later, her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Kai! Are you okay?" Carlos asked, helping her sit up.  
  
"Aside from this nail in my head, I'm fine," Kai said, placing a hand on her forehead.  
  
"What happened?" Tea asked.  
  
Kai thought for a minute. "I... don't know. I must have tripped or something. I don't remember."  
  
"That's what I thought," Joey said. "Are you okay now?"  
  
Kai nodded. "Yeah. Do you have any Advil?"  
  
"I gave you some just before you left," Elaine said, looking at her friend with a strange expression.  
  
"Oh. Yeah. That's right," Kai said, remembering. Just before she had left because of her headache. The pain must have been so great that she passed out. But why? She had never had a headache that bad before. She wasn't aware that they even existed.  
  
"Are you sure you're all right?" Carlos asked.  
  
Kai nodded. "Yeah. I just have a major headache still. It's annoying, really."  
  
"They always are," Carlos agreed with a grin.  
  
"What time is it?" Kai asked.  
  
"Four thirty," Elaine replied.  
  
"What?" Kai asked, snapping her head up. "I'll be late!" She jumped up and headed for the door, her headache forgotten.  
  
"Late for what?" Joey asked.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Tea asked.  
  
"D.C.I.S. Kai, are you sure you want to go?" Carlos asked, nearly tripping over the couch in his hurry to intercept her.  
  
"What?" Tristan and Joey asked in unison.  
  
"I'm fine," Kai said. "There's a competition tonight! I can't be late!" She darted out the door and set off at a run to her house. She had a half hour to change, and then get to the club. She had never been late for it and she wasn't anxious to be this time.  
  
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
  
"What's D.C.I.S.?" Tea asked Carlos when he plopped back down on the couch.  
  
Carlos sighed. "Dancing Club of Island Springs. Kai and I started it a few years ago. It's really popular. We meet every Saturday night and dance. And we hold competitions every month. Kai has absolutely never been late. I don't think she's ever been late for anything, ever!"  
  
"A dancing club? Is she well enough to do that?" Tea asked.  
  
"I don't think so. But when Kai wants to do something, she does it, no matter what. There's no stopping her. I've tried," Carlos replied with a glum expression. "I'm going to go over and walk her there." He stood up and so did the rest of them.  
  
"We're coming too," Tea declared.  
  
"To the house, yes," Carlos said, opening the door. Having Yami at the club was the last thing Carlos wanted.  
  
"And to the club. It sounds like fun," Tea said, walking beside him.  
  
"Besides, the more people to watch after Kai, the better," Bakura said.  
  
Carlos glared ahead, but he knew they were right. If Kai was going to do this, it would be best to have as many friends there as possible in case something went wrong.  
  
They arrived at Kai's house a few minutes later. Elaine opened the door and led everyone inside. Kai came out of her room a few minutes later in a black tee shirt with "Dancing Queen" on it in red lettering, a red jacket and black pants.  
  
"Oh, hi. Are you guys coming?" she asked, checking her watch and groaning.  
  
"Yeah," Tea said as Kai dashed by her and out the door. "Hey, wait!"  
  
"I can't be late! I have a reputation to uphold!" Kai said, running down the road.  
  
The others ran after her until Kai had to stop to catch her breath. Her head still hurt, but she ignored it.  
  
"You have time," Carlos said. "It's four fifty. It won't take us ten minutes to get there."  
  
"Oh, good," Kai said, sighing in relief. She started again, this time at a much slower pace.  
  
"So what's this whole thing about?" Tea asked.  
  
"How much did Carlos tell you?" she asked.  
  
"Only that there was a competition tonight."  
  
"Oh. Okay. Well, there's a girls' division and a boys' division for the competition. Each one has a winner. I'm the all time champion from the girls' group and swizzle stick over here is the champ of the boys'," Kai said, indicating Carlos. She got a number of laughs and even Carlos grinned. He was used to Kai's jokes.  
  
"Both the winners from the groups dance together before the night is over. Sort of like King and Queen of the prom," Kai explained.  
  
"And you're always the winner?" Tea asked, getting excited. Kai nodded proudly.  
  
"And me," Carlos said. They didn't /have/ to give Kai all the credit.  
  
"If you go to this club, do you /have/ to compete?" Joey asked.  
  
"Of course not. Just go to have fun," Kai said.  
  
"Can I compete?" Tea asked.  
  
"Uh, sure," Kai said.  
  
"You're in for some tough competition," Carlos said.  
  
"That's okay," Tea replied.  
  
Yami had seen Tea's dancing once before at a different club. She had beaten the champion there, and he had been cheating! Personally, he thought Kai was the one in for some tough competition. Though he sort of hoped Kai would win. She had a lot more riding on this than Tea. She had a reputation there. If Tea lost, no one would care.  
  
They arrived at the club a minute before five, much to Kai's delight. Carlos held the door for her and she nodded graciously. He allowed Tea, Joey, Tristan and Bakura to walk through as well, but let the door swing shut in Yami's face.  
  
Yami stood there for a few seconds in surprise, then let himself in. What was wrong with Carlos? He hadn't been too friendly toward him lately. What was his problem? Yami hadn't done anything to him.  
  
When he caught sight of Kai, she was already dancing with Carlos to the fast tune that the band was playing. Pushing through the crowd, he stopped next to Joey and his other friends.  
  
"Hey! Where'd you go?" Joey asked. Yami just shrugged as a man called everyone's attention.  
  
"Now, for the moment we've all been waiting for all month, the Island Springs Dance Competition! As we all know, the contestants will be judged on their performance and presence, etc. etc. Well, ladies first! Line up!" he said.  
  
A number of girls pushed through the crowd and lined up at the edge of the stage. Kai gave Yami a thumbs up and Carlos a wink before she made her way to the end of the line. Tea went and stood behind her.  
  
"Our first contestant. Elaine Trevino!"  
  
Elaine jumped onto the stage and punched the air for emphasis. She got a bunch of cheers, her brother included.  
  
A few seconds later, the music started up and Elaine launched into her dance. She was fairly good, Yami assessed. But she didn't have a prayer against Tea.  
  
A number of other girls he didn't know came after her. Each one had a different thing they did before starting their dance. He guessed that was just something to catch everyone's attention.  
  
Finally, it was Kai's turn. Yami could see that she was itching to get up there.  
  
"And now, the all time champion, Kai-Tara Lee!"  
  
Yami, Carlos and his friends weren't the only ones cheering for her. It seemed everyone in the room thought she was great as she did a few spins into the center of the stage as her entrance.  
  
"All right Kai! Come on! Knock 'em dead!" Carlos was saying. "That last dance is ours!"  
  
The music started and Yami could see immediately that Kai deserved her title. She was far better than the girls that came before her. She looked like she was having tons of fun up there and he was enjoying watching her. The song was fast and he was amazed that she could keep up with it. From what he could remember of Tea's dancing, Kai was just as good.  
  
When she finished there were lots of cheers and whoops. She beamed as she got off the stage.  
  
"All right! You were awesome like always," Carlos exclaimed, putting one arm around her and messing with her hair when she came over.  
  
"Hey!" she laughed and pushed him away.  
  
"You were excellent!" Yami said as the announcer called Tea's name.  
  
"Tea's up!" Tristan said.  
  
"Come on Tea!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
Yami could see that she was a little nervous from Kai's earlier performance, but she recovered quickly. Her song was slower than Kai's, but still upbeat. When she finished, Yami couldn't begin to decide who was better.  
  
"Tea, you were terrific!" Joey said, when she came over.  
  
"Yeah!" Tristan said.  
  
"Thanks," she beamed.  
  
- She really was, - Kai thought nervously. - What if she wins? -  
  
"I can't believe they're going to make us wait until /after/ the boys before they tell us the winner," Kai complained.  
  
"I think you'll live," Carlos said, grinning.  
  
"That was terrific! I think our champ is going to have a run for her money with that last contestant. Let's give the girls a last round of applause," the announcer said and the room erupted with cheers and claps.  
  
Kai beamed as Carlos put an arm around her. Tea grinned at the fact that she was as good as Kai. Maybe she'd actually win!  
  
"Now, for the boys!" called the announcer.  
  
"Yeah! All right Carlos! Come on!" Kai exclaimed as her friend went to line up.  
  
"Show everyone what a real dancer's like!" Elaine called.  
  
When the first guy started, Yami found he was a bit bored. He looked over at Carlos. He was standing at the end of the line, arms folded with a look on his face like he owned the place. Yami saw him glance at Kai, who gave him a thumbs up.  
  
The pain behind Kai's temples was still there, but it wasn't getting worse, so she ignored it. She still had that dance with Carlos later. Then a new worry came to her. What if Tea won? That would be the end of her streak. She no longer would be the best. Dancing was the only thing she was the best at. She had to have that last dance. Tea just couldn't win.  
  
Yami could see that Kai was nervous. - She really wants to win this thing. What if she doesn't? What if she loses? - He hoped that wouldn't happen.  
  
"And now, the champion from the boys' division, Carlos Trevino!"  
  
Carlos came onto the stage punching the air, and the room exploded. Yami noticed that the girls especially were cheering. He and Joey exchanged looks as Carlos' music started. Yami thought Carlos looked kind of stupid, but Kai was watching her friend with a huge smile.  
  
- Carlos will win the boys' division for sure! I have to be the one to dance with him! Tea can't win! -  
  
Tea wanted to be the one to go up and dance with Carlos, but it wasn't mandatory for her. If she lost, it wouldn't be any big thing. It was fun just to get up and dance again.  
  
"Well done, Carlos," the announcer said when he had finished. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... well, continue to wait. We'll tell you the winners in a few minutes. In the meantime, enjoy a few dances!"  
  
The band started up playing a fast tune as Carlos came over.  
  
"Carlos you were great!" Kai exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah! That dance is yours for certain!" Elaine said.  
  
"And Kai's," Carlos said and Kai grinned.  
  
"We don't know that yet. Tea might win," Joey said. Kai's grin faded slightly at that.  
  
- That's right Joey, - Yami thought darkly.  
  
"Well, if she does, that's okay," Kai said, trying to make her face agree with her words. Tea grinned, embarrassed.  
  
"Come, on. Dance with me. It'll be practice for when we're up on stage. Not that we need any of course," Carlos said, pulling Kai over.  
  
"Kai was better than me. She's going to win," Tea said, watching Carlos and Kai move to the beat. She didn't really care, but Tristan didn't help.  
  
"She wasn't /that/ much better," he said.  
  
- Another smooth talker, - Yami thought. Though his tune was a little lighter about Tea. The glare she gave Tristan said it all.  
  
The song ended soon after and a slower, but still upbeat one began to play.  
  
"I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" Kai said to Carlos, and ran over to the gang. Carlos stared after her, confused.  
  
"Hey!" Kai said, pulling on Yami's arm. "Dance with me!"  
  
"What?" Yami asked. "No, I -"  
  
"Come on!" Kai pulled him toward the dance floor.  
  
Yami didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to dance! What was he supposed to do? "No, I don't dance," he said.  
  
"That's ridiculous. It's easy! Come on! Please?"  
  
"I can't!" Yami tried. - Joey's never going to let me hear the end of this. -  
  
"Sure you can," Kai said, tugging on his arm.  
  
He looked over his shoulder at his friends and they were nearly falling on the floor, they were laughing so hard. He scowled, knowing they wouldn't be any help.  
  
"Look, Kai, I don't dance," he said, standing in front of her on the floor. She folded her arms and looked at him.  
  
"Aww. Why not?"  
  
"Because I can't. I've never done it before." That should set her straight.  
  
"But it's easy! It's so easy! You can do it, come on," She grabbed his wrist as the song ended. She immediately dropped it and turned to the stage along with everyone else to see if the announcer was coming on. Instead, the band struck up a slow song. She was disappointed only for a second though. She turned back to Yami who was trying desperately to back away.  
  
"If you don't know how to dance, this is perfect for you to learn!" she said, going over and wrapping her arms around his neck.  
  
Yami stared at her in shock. What now?  
  
"Come on, you have to know this much. Like this." Kai put his hands on her waist and he felt himself go slightly red.  
  
She started to guide him and he stumbled a bit. She gave a small laugh and smiled at him. He gave a small smile despite himself. Slowly he got the hang of it. It really was pretty easy. And for those few minutes, all thoughts of Joey's endless teasing were driven from his mind.  
  
Carlos stood a ways away and watched Yami end the dance by giving Kai a turn. He scowled, then looked up at the stage to see the announcer come up.  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked. A few people called out "Yeah." "I can't hear you!" he called.  
  
"Yeah!" the crowd cried, Kai and Carlos included.  
  
"All right! Let's see," the announcer said, opening the envelope. "The winner of the boys' division is..."  
  
Carlos had walked over to Kai and he was now standing next to her, trying not too look to anxious.  
  
"Carlos Trevino! He's still got it! Come on up here Carlos!"  
  
"Yeah!" Carlos exclaimed as he started to the stage.  
  
"All right Carlos!" Kai cried.  
  
"Oh yeah!" Elaine said, punching the air.  
  
People were cheering as Carlos stood on stage next to the announcer. He looked as though he had just been crowned King of the world.  
  
"And the winner of the girls' division is..."  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
a/n: Tune in next time to see who the winner is! Of course, you have to review first... 


	15. The Winner

Kai could almost hear a drum roll as she waited for the answer with bated breath. It couldn't be Tea. It couldn't.  
  
"Kai-Tara Lee!"  
  
"YES!" she cried, punching the air a few times. She had done it! She was still the best! Her friends all cheered for her as she went onstage, Tea included.  
  
- Yes! - Yami thought. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted Tea to win, it was just that it was so much more important to Kai.  
  
"And now, our two winners will share one final dance before the night is over. Let's give them one more hand!"  
  
The room exploded with applause and Kai and Carlos grinned at each other. The music started and Yami watched as Kai took her friend's hand. The song was upbeat and he was surprised to feel he was glad about it. Maybe it was just because he knew now how uncomfortable it was to actually slow dance and he really didn't want to watch someone else do it. It would remind him how painful it was.  
  
Kai and Carlos really were good together. It was almost like they knew what the other was going to do before they did it. Maybe they had practiced. But then that wouldn't make sense. If someone else had won, they wouldn't have known the routine. No, it was purely spontaneous.  
  
Yami thought Kai was a bit better dancer because his eye was being drawn to her most often. Carlos was good, but Kai was better. Maybe it was because she looked like she was having more fun. Carlos, Yami noticed, hardly ever took his eyes off his partner unless he had to. Slowly everything began to sink into place.  
  
That's why Carlos hadn't been all too friendly with him. He was interested in Kai. He didn't want her hanging out with other guys. But then why was it Carlos was acting fine with Bakura and Tristan and Joey? Why was it only him that he was being so cold to? Had Elaine told him what she thought had happened earlier that day? No, when would she have told him? Yami had been with them ever since that. And he had been being cool before that ever happened. He hadn't thought too much about it, but now he remembered the way Carlos had stared at him at the movies. Almost in a way that if he tried anything, he'd regret it. Yami hadn't done anything more with Kai than any of the others had. Why was it that he was the one Carlos decided to harp on? It made no sense.  
  
It was the applause for Kai and Carlos that brought him back down to Earth. He cheered along with everyone else, but he was mainly clapping for Kai. Carlos was being far too weird. Not that anyone knew who he was clapping for anyway.  
  
"Thank you boys and girls for coming here tonight and taking part in our competition. We hope to see you all next week. Good night everyone!" the announcer said.  
  
There was one last round of applause and then the club began to clear out. Kai jumped down off the stage and ran over to her friends. Yami backed up slightly. The memory of their dance earlier was still pretty painful, not to mention embarrassing. He was surprised that Joey hadn't brought it up yet. Glad, but surprised none the less.  
  
"You saw us, right? The two best dancers on Island Springs were just up there tonight," Carlos said, putting an arm around Kai, who grinned.  
  
Tristan tried his best not to raise an eyebrow. Joey, on the other hand, was trying not to laugh.  
  
- The only reason Carlos won was because all the other guys wouldn't know rhythm if it jumped up and bit them! - Joey thought with a snicker. - Kai was good though. She would have to be to beat Tea! -  
  
"How are you going to get through our door with that swelled head of yours?" Elaine asked her brother. Yami couldn't help it. He laughed along with his friends as Carlos glared at her.  
  
Kai was disappointed that the night was over. She had been having so much fun. She was glad that Yami and the others had come along. She didn't have too many people she could share things with. Carlos and Elaine were two of the few friends she had.  
  
Kai was beginning to feel quite close to Yami. She felt he understood what she was feeling, even though she never actually told him. Sort of like Carlos, but there was something more. She just couldn't put her finger on it.  
  
It was time for Carlos and Elaine to split off from the group in no time at all. They waved to each other and started to their own houses.  
  
"Did you have fun?" Kai asked as they walked.  
  
"Yeah! It was great!" Tea said enthusiastically.  
  
"It was fun," Joey said. Yami looked over his shoulder as saw his friend grin at him. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that his grin meant nothing good.  
  
"What about you?" Kai asked, poking Yami in the arm.  
  
"It was fun," he agreed, taken a little by surprise.  
  
Kai was the first to enter the house, followed by Tea. They said good night before the boys even got through the door. Kai was exhausted and she still had that annoying headache.  
  
"You coming?" Joey asked Yami after the girls had gone into their room.  
  
"No, I think I'll stay out here for a while. You go in. I'll see you later," he replied. The less time he spent with Joey, the less time his friend had to tease him about his awkward dance with Kai.  
  
"Suit yourself," Joey said with a shrug. He closed the door behind him and Yami went across the lawn and sat by the old oak tree. It felt good to finally be alone. Or as alone as Yami could possibly be.  
  
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a/n: Alright, more interesting stuff to come in the next few chapters, so keep reading and reviewing! 


	16. Song Of Surprise

a/n: Okay... here's the next chapter. The first bit of it might be a little confusing 'cause it's my first attempt at having a song in it, but it shouldn't be too bad. Don't forget to review!  
  
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~ I turned around,  
  
~and the water,  
  
~was closing,  
  
~all around,  
  
~ like a glove... ~  
  
Kai woke up to the sound of her grandmother's voice. She had sung that song to Kai ever since she was little.  
  
~ Like the love,  
  
~ that had finally, finally found me,  
  
~and I knew... ~  
  
"In the crystalline knowledge of you," Kai sung under her breath.  
  
~ Drove me through the mountains,  
  
~ through the crystal like a clear water fountain.  
  
~Drove me like a madness... ~  
  
"To the sea..." Kai finished. She could still hear it even though she was awake. Getting up, she walked into the living room.  
  
~ And I knew,  
  
~ in the crystalline knowledge of you... ~  
  
"To the sea... to the sea..." Kai murmured.  
  
She opened the front door to find herself staring into darkness. Despite that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She sat down on the porch and listened to the song that was playing in her mind.  
  
~ Do you always,  
  
~ trust that first initial feeling?  
  
~ Special knowledge,  
  
~ holds true... there's believing.  
  
~~~~  
  
~ I turned around,  
  
~ and the water,  
  
~ was closing,  
  
~ all around,  
  
~ like glove, like the love,  
  
~ that had finally, finally found me and I knew,  
  
~ in the crystalline knowledge of you.  
  
~ Drove me through the mountains,  
  
~ through the crystal like a clear water fountain,  
  
~ drove me like a madness,  
  
~ to the sea,  
  
~ to the sea,  
  
~ to the sea, yeah.  
  
~~~~  
  
~ How the face of change turning the pages.  
  
~ I have changed oh but you, you remain ageless.  
  
~ I turned around,  
  
~ and the water, ~ was closing,  
  
~ all around,  
  
~ like a glove,  
  
~ like the love that had finally, finally found me, and I knew,  
  
~ in the crystalline knowledge of you.  
  
~ Drove me through the mountains,  
  
~ through the crystal like a clear water fountain.  
  
~ Drove me like a madness,  
  
~ to the sea,  
  
~ to the sea,  
  
~ to the sea, yeah,  
  
~ to the sea, yeah,  
  
~~~~  
  
~ yeah,  
  
~ yeah,  
  
~ I turned around and the water was closing around me.  
  
~ I turned around and the water was closing around me. ~ mmmhmmm,  
  
~ sea,  
  
~ sea,  
  
~ I turn around and the water was closing around me,  
  
~ uh, huh,  
  
~ uh, huh,  
  
~ around me,  
  
~ around me,  
  
~ around me,  
  
~ I turn around and the water was closing around me. ~  
  
Kai realized she had been singing as well and looked up to make sure no one was there. Naturally, there wasn't. She lifted her arm to look at her watch, then lowered it with an eye roll. She couldn't see anything out here. Even after her eyes had adjusted to the light all she saw was darkness.  
  
Kai was amazed to find that her head still felt like there was a nail through it. She went back inside to get some Advil.  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
Yami leaned around the tree when he heard the door close for the second time. He wasn't sure what that had been about. He didn't come out from behind the tree earlier because he knew it would embarrass her. But why did she come out here to begin with? He was hard pressed to believe she had come outside just to sing. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach that Kai was hiding something.  
  
Though Yami's mind slowly drifted off that. He could still hear Kai's singing and he closed his eyes and replayed the song. Her voice was soothing and he felt very calmed by it. Of course, he could never tell her. That would mean telling her he had been out here when she was.  
  
He had no idea how long he had been out here. Had it been long enough for the other guys to have fallen asleep? Should he take a chance? The last thing he wanted was for Joey to still be awake. That wouldn't be good.  
  
He stood up and walked to the door. He turned the knob and entered. The door creaked as he shut it and he froze. Was Kai in her room yet? Did she hear that? There was no sound of movement from either his room or hers so he relaxed a little. He headed for his room and walked into darkness. He breathed in relief as he crawled into bed.  
  
%%%%%%%%%%  
  
Kai listened carefully in the night. She thought she had heard the creak of the front door. She lay in bed, listening for what seemed like hours. Finally, when she didn't hear anything else and her grandmother's voice had faded away, she fell asleep.  
  
**********************************************************************************  
  
"Hey! Tea! Wake up! I did it, I did it!"  
  
Tea opened her eyes to Kai shaking her awake excitedly. "What?"  
  
"I did it!"  
  
"You did what?" Tea sat up and looked at her friend in confusion.  
  
"I didn't burn the French toast! It's perfect! I did it!" Kai cried. "Hurry up, before it gets cold!" With that she ran out of the room to get the boys.  
  
Tea rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. Now what had Kai been saying? It was the middle of summer; how could it get cold?  
  
"Get up, get up, get up!" Kai exclaimed, shaking Yami awake. "Do you want your breakfast cold? Get up!"  
  
"What is it? Is something the matter?" Yami asked. He sat up and watched her shake Tristan.  
  
"What are you doing?" Tristan asked, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Come on!" Kai said, jostling Bakura, who sat up looking incredibly confused.  
  
Yami had to suppress a grin when she shook Joey. He had been so shocked to see her that he nearly fell out of bed. Tea had picked that time to come to the doorway and she laughed.  
  
"Were you hoping it was Mai?" she asked.  
  
"No, why would you say that?" he asked quickly, sitting up. Yami turned his back to his friend so Joey wouldn't see the pained expression on his face as he tried not to laugh.  
  
"Breakfast is ready!" Kai exclaimed, taking no notice of Joey's funny outburst or Tea's joke. She left the room and the rest of the boys got up.  
  
Yami was the first out the door and Kai was already putting pieces of French toast on their plates with a huge grin.  
  
"Kai, what -?" Tea started, sitting down between Bakura and Tristan.  
  
"Try it," Kai said simply.  
  
"Huh?" Joey asked, still half asleep.  
  
"Come on, try it!" she insisted.  
  
It looked okay, so Yami took a bite. He became very aware of Kai watching him with a grin.  
  
"This is... very good!" he said. He hadn't meant to sound so surprised, but Kai didn't seem to hear.  
  
"I know!" she exclaimed. "It's my grandmother's own recipe. I've never tried it before, can you believe it?"  
  
"No, I can't," Joey said, trying his. "This is really good!"  
  
Tea kicked him under the table. - That's right, stupid. Tell her she can't cook. -  
  
But Kai took no notice of Joey's comment. She sat down and started eating as well. Yami couldn't help feeling proud of her. After all those mistakes, she must be feeling really great about this. And she had reason to be.  
  
They ate in silence and as soon as they were done, Kai whisked their plates away and put them in the sink. She soaped up the sponge and started washing the dishes. - They have to get done sooner or later. -  
  
Yami picked up a towel and began drying the plates she put in the rack. They caught each other's eye and grinned at the memory of their water fight. Kai went back over to the table to get Tristan's glass and Yami realized he was still grinning. His mind came to a sudden halt.  
  
No, he couldn't... He didn't... Yami jumped a little when Kai came back to the sink.  
  
"You okay?" she asked, looking at him. Yami realized he must look a little disconcerted.  
  
"I'm... fine," he said as the dish slid from his hands. Both he and Kai reached for it and she caught it.  
  
"I'm so glad you're fine," she laughed. Yami went a little red and went back to drying. He could hear Joey and Tea laughing in the background and he felt himself go a brighter shade of scarlet.  
  
That was absolutely ridiculous. Completely absurd. There was positively no way. It was just his imagination running wild. Nothing. Why would there be anything else? Absolutely absurd.  
  
The phone rang and Kai nearly tripped over herself in her hurry to answer it. wiping her soapy hands on her jeans, she picked up the receiver.  
  
"Yeah?" she said, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear.  
  
"I've got the list of movies for next week," Carlos' voice came.  
  
"Great! What are they?" Kai asked, pulling out the drawer of the end table to look for a pencil. The bottom of it fell out and papers were strewn everywhere. Kai groaned and ruffled through them until she found a pen. "Okay, I'm ready." She wrote the list on her hand as Carlos read them off to her. "Think about which one you want to go see and get back to me, okay?"  
  
"Are you all right? You sound a bit preoccupied," Carlos said.  
  
"Yeah, the bottom of my drawer decided to leave. I've got to clean it up," Kai said.  
  
"Oh," he laughed, relaxing. "Okay. Call you later."  
  
Kai hung up and scooped up the majority papers and tapped the on the table to get them going in the same direction. She reached down to get the rest but Yami had already picked them up. There had been something on them that caught his eye.  
  
But before he had time to look at what it was, Kai took them. "Thanks," she said, putting them with the others and taking the whole pile into her room.  
  
"What was on them?" he asked when she came back.  
  
"Oh, nothing important," she said, waving it away. As Kai bent to reassemble the drawer, Yami tried to remember the glimpse he had gotten of what was on the paper.  
  
Whatever it was, it had been very detailed. It had taken up the entire piece of paper and it had reminded him of something. Something from his past. Yami wanted to know what it was. He glanced at the doorway then went back to watching Kai as she put the drawer back into the end table.  
  
"There. It's a temporary job, but it'll do until I get Carlos over here to fix it," Kai said, standing up and looking at the end table. She stuck her tongue out at it and went back to the dishes.  
  
Yami picked up the dish towel and debated whether or not to ask her about the paper again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kai sincerely hoped that Yami hadn't seen too clearly what was on those papers. It was a worthless hobby she had. Those were certainly not her best. If Yami was going to see any of it, she would want those to be her best. Carlos had seen them and he had been impressed, even with the ones she hadn't liked. But she never really listened to Carlos. Who did? But she had realized a little while ago that she wanted Yami to be impressed with her. Therefore, she'd only show him the best. And those things she had in her drawer weren't the best.  
  
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a/n: Wanna' find out what was on those papers? I'll tell you next chapter, but you have to review first! 


	17. Art Of Confusion

"I've got to run to the store and pick up nails for Carlos. I'd better have supplies for him when he comes to help me with my drawer or he won't be very happy," Kai laughed as she picked up her purse. "I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
With that said, she left. A little while later, Yami saw his opportunity to look at those papers when Joey knocked over Kai vase and spilled water everywhere. The others were busy helping to clean it up and didn't notice when Yami left the room.  
  
Opening the door to Kai's room, he saw the papers lying on her bed. He closed the door behind him and sat down next to the pile. He stared at the top paper in shock. This was what had looked familiar, but he still couldn't place it. It was a picture of an old woman dressed as a fortune teller. She had a strong jaw and kind eyes. But more than the fact that it was familiar to him, it was the fact that it had been drawn. Yami could see the lines where Kai's pencil had touched the paper. Each one was exactly where it was supposed to be. Every one was perfect.  
  
He lifted that picture off the pile to reveal one of Carlos. It was an exact replica. He even had on his "I own the world" look. She had captured it perfectly. And it was all in pencil. The next one was of Elaine. Again, it was spectacular. He flipped through the papers, looking at people he didn't know. Then he reached someone he did know. Tea. He wondered if Tea knew about this or not. Tristan, Joey and Bakura were there too.  
  
He removed Joey's picture, knowing which one would be next. And he was correct. He found he was looking at one of himself leaning against the wall. The Yami in the picture had a blank expression on his face and was folding his arms. The real Yami stared at it. When had Kai done this? He would have seen her. Unless she didn't do it while he was actually there. She must have memorized these people in the poses and drawn them later. He stared in shock at himself. It was like looking in a mirror. Why hadn't she wanted him to see these?  
  
He was nearing the bottom of the pile and he finally managed to tear his eyes away from the one of himself long enough to remove it. He was staring at the entire group with him leaning against the wall again. Placing it on the pile of ones he already looked at, he found he was looking at Kai herself. It looked exactly like her.  
  
- How did she manage to do one of herself? - Yami thought, staring at it. It was so much like her. He put it aside and turned to the next one. He felt as if his heart had stopped when he looked at what was on the paper.  
  
It was the dance he had shared with Kai. A close up of their faces, the look on Kai's was similar to the one Mai often had when looking at Joey. He himself wasn't even looking at her. He thought back to that moment and realized she had captured it accurately. He remembered avoiding her eyes at that time. Yami went red at the memory. He hadn't seen how Kai was looking at him then, but he couldn't take his eyes off her now. He could feel her arms around his neck and he could hear the soft melody that had played.  
  
No. It was a fluke. The picture was an accident. He had been trying not to fall on his face; he was probably just watching his feet. He couldn't help how Kai interpreted it. If she had fallen for him, that wasn't his fault. But there was no way there could be anything between them. Just no way.  
  
But he folded the picture and put it in his pocket. And the door opened.  
  
"Yugi!"  
  
Yami's head snapped up to see Kai standing in the doorway. He froze like a deer in the headlights. Now what?  
  
"What are you doing?" Kai asked, walking over to the bed. "What's wrong with you? This is my stuff!" She gathered the papers together haphazardly and she saw the one of the fortune teller. Her expression changed dramatically as she sat down on the bed looking at it. "I had forgotten about this one."  
  
"Who is it?" Yami asked, before he could stop himself.  
  
"My grandmother. She used to be a fortune teller. I did this one a long time ago. When I needed a model to draw. I don't know how she sat there so still. But it was all for nothing. It didn't come out as good as I'd hoped," she said, tossing the papers onto her bed behind her. She stood up and went to the window. The last thing she wanted was for Yami to see the tears in her eyes.  
  
"What do you mean?" Yami asked, surprised. He got up and stood beside her.  
  
"It just doesn't look right. I couldn't even tell you what's wrong with it. That's the problem with everything I do. It just never comes out right. I don't know why I still bother to do it," Kai said, staring, trying to make her eyes dry.  
  
"I think it's excellent," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know how you draw like that from memory."  
  
"That's easy. It's getting it to look right. There's only one I truly like," she said, going back to the bed.  
  
"Which one is that?" Yami asked, the hand that had been on her shoulder now on the window sill. Her hesitation told him which one it was.  
  
"The one of Carlos," she lied. "He especially liked it too," she laughed.  
  
He began to truly feel the fact that they were alone there. He reminded himself that at least he wasn't alone. He was never alone. Yugi was always there. Just now he realized that he sort of wished that they were alone. But that could and would never happen. So he should forget about it right then.  
  
"I was impressed with this one," Yami said, searching through the papers. He found the one of himself fairly quickly and Kai went slightly red.  
  
"I did one of all of you," she said.  
  
"Yes, I saw," he replied.  
  
"I tend to do them at night, after everything has happened and it's still fresh in my mind," she said, gathering them again. "Most of the time I don't really know what I'm drawing. My hands just take control. I guess you could say I draw with my heart. I've done a lot more. But I threw most of them out."  
  
"Why?" How could she possibly throw anything this good away?  
  
"Maybe because it scared me," she said, looking at him. "To find out what's really going on in my heart and what I'm really feeling, instead of what I tell myself I'm feeling. You don't understand any of this, do you?" she asked with a small laugh.  
  
"Yes, I do," he replied. - More than you know. And more than you will ever know. -  
  
"Have you ever felt that way, Yugi? Scared because what you think you've been feeling isn't really true?"  
  
Yami looked at her and for a split second he considered telling her everything. "Yes," he answered simply.  
  
"What was it?" she asked. Then she realized just how personal a question that was. "Sorry. I'm a little nosy."  
  
"It's all right." He was glad she interrupted herself. He had absolutely no idea what he would have replied. He sat down on the bed next to her and watched her stare at the picture of her grandmother.  
  
"I miss her," she said. She didn't really know why she was telling him so much. She hadn't intended to. But something about him made her feel like he'd understand anything she said. No matter how crazy. Something she never felt when around Carlos.  
  
Yami wasn't sure what to say, so he just put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
His touch seemed to strengthen her. "But it's in the past now and it's silly of me to dwell on it. It happened over a year ago after all."  
  
"It's not silly. It's normal," Yami said, standing.  
  
"And Carlos says I'm abnormal," Kai said with a grin. "By the way, do you know why the carpet's wet in the living room?"  
  
Yami gave a small laugh. "Ask Joey."  
  
"Okay," Kai said, giving him a puzzled look and leaving the room. Yami heard her ask Joey the same question. He didn't listen to his reply though. He took out the picture of him and Kai from his pocket and looked at it. He knew exactly what Kai was talking about. But he shouldn't. It was better if he didn't realize that what he was telling himself he was feeling wasn't true. It was better for him and for Kai. She didn't know who he was and it should stay that way. There was no reason for her to know the truth. He felt a little sad, but shook himself out of it rather quickly.  
  
Yami put the picture back in his pocket and left the room. He got to the living room and sat down next to Tristan and Joey. Kai had gone into the kitchen to get drinks.  
  
"What were you doing in there?" Joey asked when Yami sat down.  
  
"Kai was showing me some of the things she has drawn," Yami said, moderating the truth. He was very aware of the picture that was still in his pocket.  
  
"Is she a good artist?" Bakura asked. Yami nodded as Kai came back into the room with a tray of glasses.  
  
She set one down in front of each person on the coffee table, then poured them water from the pitcher. She gave Yami a warm smile after she poured his. Joey saw and choked on the sip of water he was drinking in laughter.  
  
Kai went back into the kitchen to put the pitcher away. When she came back, she sat down next to Bakura on the couch.  
  
"Yugi says you're a good artist. Can we see some of it?" Tea asked.  
  
"Um, okay," Kai replied, getting up and going into her bedroom she came out shortly after and handed the picture of Elaine to Tea.  
  
"You drew this? This is amazing!" she exclaimed and Kai beamed. Tea passed it around and every reaction was almost the same.  
  
"How do you do that?" Joey asked.  
  
"I don't know," she replied.  
  
"That's really good," Bakura said.  
  
"Thanks," Kai said with a smile.  
  
"Elaine and Carlos seem to be really close," Tea said.  
  
"Yeah, they are," Kai said, looking at her.  
  
"I'm really close with my little sister too," Joey said.  
  
~ Man, Serenity's cute, ~ Kai heard Tristan say.  
  
She turned to look at him and said, "Are you two going out?"  
  
He looked at her quizzically. "What?"  
  
"You and Serenity."  
  
Suddenly Joey shot up out of his chair. "/What/? You better not be going out with my sister!"  
  
"I'm not! Why would you think that?" Tristan asked Kai.  
  
"Oh, well, you just said you thought she was cute, so I thought..." she started but Joey interrupted.  
  
"You /what/?" he cried, grabbing Tristan's shirt.  
  
The friends' eyes widened and Kai spoke. "Joey! What are you doing?"  
  
Tea got up and managed to pull Joey away from him.  
  
"I never said that!" Tristan said, looking at Kai with a strange expression.  
  
"You better not!" Joey said, threatening a fist at his friend.  
  
Kai got up from the couch and entered the kitchen with a strange expression on her face. She poured herself a glass of water and leaned against the counter, staring at it.  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
She looked up to see Yami standing there.  
  
"Yeah. If Tristan never said that... then... how did I know Serenity's name?"  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
a/n: Hmmm... Got any guesses as to what's going on? Things are gonna' get interesting now! So if you want to keep reading, keep reviewing! 


	18. Something Strange

- If Tristan never said that... then... how did I know Serenity's name? -  
  
"Well, my... my grandmother... she was a psychic... so, maybe... maybe I inherited some of her powers. You know, seeing the future and... reading minds... and stuff..." she said, slowing down at the end, realizing she wasn't making much sense and he probably didn't believe in psychics.  
  
He just looked at her for a second, then nodded briefly. "Maybe."  
  
They went back into the living room and took seats on the couch. The others were immersed in conversation as if nothing had happened. It seemed to have slipped by them because of Joey's outburst.  
  
This suited Kai fine. She didn't want them to know. She refrained from putting a hand to her temple as her headache pounded. It seemed to be getting worse as the days went by. No matter what she told herself, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.  
  
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
  
Kai rolled her head to the side, her eyes shut tight. Her head hurt but she didn't realize it. She had other things on her subconscious mind.  
  
Her grandmother kept flashing through her mind... in front of her eyes. She could hear the song... ~ In the crystalline knowledge of you... ~ There was something wrong... but what... what was it? Something was happening... she could feel it... What was happening...?  
  
~ You'll find out in due time, Kai. ~  
  
"No..." Kai moaned. "Leave me alone..." Her eyes snapped open to find herself in a dark bedroom on the floor. She sat bolt upright and put a hand to the side of her head. "Why won't this headache just go /away/?" she whispered to herself.  
  
She got up and made her way to the bathroom to get some Advil. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She swallowed the pills and stood in the middle of the kitchen for a second. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.  
  
"It was just a dream," she told herself. She was so tired, maybe she should go back to sleep. "Yeah," she muttered, pouring out the water and heading back into the bedroom.  
  
She lay back down and closed her eyes, falling into a more peaceful sleep.  
  
##################################################################################  
  
Kai opened her eyes to find daylight pouring in through the window. Her headache nowhere near as bad as it had been during the night, though it was still there. Tea was sitting up just as she was.  
  
"Hi, Tea," Kai said, smiling.  
  
"Hi!" Tea said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.  
  
Kai was about to say something more when they heard a loud crash from the boys' room. They looked at each other for a second before running across the hall to see what it was.  
  
"What happened?" Tea asked when Bakura opened the door.  
  
He laughed. "Joey fell out of bed."  
  
The girls laughed and entered the room. Joey was pulling himself off the floor and at the same time, yelling at Tristan.  
  
"..The first thing I want to see in the morning is definitely /not/ your face!" he was saying.  
  
The two boys started yelling at each other some more while the girls laughed.  
  
"Are they usually like this?" Kai asked.  
  
"No, today's a good day," Tea replied and they laughed some more.  
  
A few minutes later, the six of them were in the kitchen, Kai helping Tea make breakfast. They decided to go simple today; just cold cereal.  
  
They chatted about random things while they ate; nothing too important. There was a lot of laughing involved, though.  
  
Kai cleared the table a little while later and soon after they were sitting in the living room talking about Duel Monsters.  
  
"I came in second in Duelist Kingdom," Joey said proudly. "And Yugi's the best duelist in the world!"  
  
Yami merely grinned. He felt his ego swell slightly, but pushed it away quickly.  
  
"That's really cool!" Kai said, genuinely excited.  
  
"I'm really only know the basics of Duel Monsters," Tristan said. "But, I'm getting better."  
  
~ Ring ~  
  
Kai turned towards the phone on the end table with a new expression on her face. The phone rang for the first time that day and her eyes widened slightly, her breath catching in her throat. She reached out to pick it up as a voice flashed through her mind.  
  
She drew her hand back as quickly as if she had been bitten. She put it over her mouth and whispered, "It's Elaine." No one heard it for the sound barely left her throat.  
  
*Ring*  
  
"Are you going to get that?" Tea asked, giving her friend a curious look.  
  
"Y-yeah," Kai said, trying to clear her throat at the same time. She reached once more for the phone, her hand shaking slightly. She placed her hand on the receiver and breathed slowly for a second. Then she put it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked, her nervousness clear in her voice.  
  
"Kai? Are you okay?"  
  
Kai nearly cried out in horror. Her eyes widened as Elaine spoke again.  
  
"Kai? You there?"  
  
Her heart pounding, she forced her vocal cords to work. "Yeah... yeah, I... I'm fine. Look, I... I can't talk... I have... I have to go." She put the phone back down rather hard and pulled away quickly as if it were going to bite her.  
  
"Kai? Are you all right?" Bakura asked, seeing the look on her face.  
  
Kai nodded, pressing a hand to her temple. Her heart felt like it was beating in her head. No... it felt like it was beating in her mind. "Yeah... I... I just need some Advil... that's all," she lied, getting up to get some.  
  
She forced herself not to run to the bathroom, instead walking at a calm and steady pace. When she reached it, she closed the door and locked it. She turned and leaned against the door, wrapping her arms around her waist. Breathing heavily, she slowly slid to the floor.  
  
- What's happening to me? Why did I know that? I shouldn't have known that! What's wrong with me? -  
  
Trying to control her breathing, but to no avail, she got up from the floor and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her green eyes were full of fear and her hair was falling in her face. She pressed her fingers to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut at the pain. It was suddenly searing and she was doing her best not to cry out. It dulled for a moment and she once again looked at her reflection. She was pale and she could almost see her heart beating in her chest. Her hands shook and she clenched them in an attempt to make them stop. Her eyes caught sight of her brush on the sink and she reached for it. Her hand closed around the handle and she picked it up. She ran it through her scarlet hair a few times and felt herself calming down slightly. Brushing her hair always did that. She brushed it out of her face and over her shoulders.  
  
She set the brush back on the sink and looked at her reflection again. Some of the color had come back into her face, but she was still shaking. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and bent her head down to try to calm it. Her breathing had evened out and her heartbeat was returning to normal. Her head still seared with pain, so she reached up and pulled the mirror open, revealing a cabinet. She pulled down a small bottle. She took out two pills and replaced the bottle in the cabinet. She put some tap water in her hand and swallowed it with the pills.  
  
Figuring she had better get back to her friends before they realized something was wrong, she took a deep breath and left the bathroom. She was still shaking, but less so than before. She forced a smile onto her face as she took her seat next to Bakura on the couch.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tea asked, slightly concerned.  
  
"I'm fine," Kai replied, though her tone suggested otherwise.  
  
"Are you sure?" Yami asked, piercing her eyes with his.  
  
"Y-yes, I'm fine," she said, looking away as the pain in her head grew stronger slightly.  
  
- What's wrong with her, Yami? - Yugi asked through their mind link.  
  
- I'm not sure. But I'm fairly certain it has to do with that headache. I don't think she even knows what's going on, - Yami replied, studying her face.  
  
*Ring*  
  
Kai snapped her head around to look at the phone. Yami watched her expression change like it had earlier.  
  
*Ring*  
  
"Kai? Are you sure you're all right?" Joey asked, giving her a funny look.  
  
"Yeah," she said without taking her eyes off the ringing phone. She grabbed it and put it to her ear after the third ring. "Hello?" she asked, slightly nervous.  
  
"Kai? What happened? Do you want me to come over or something?" Elaine was on the other end.  
  
"No... I... I'm fine, really. Um... thanks anyway, though. What... what did you call about?" Kai asked, realized her hand was starting to hurt from gripping the phone so tightly. She loosened her grip and breathed slowly, trying to calm down. She noticed Yami watching her carefully and she felt even more nervous with the close inspection.  
  
"Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go on a double date," she said, going back to her cheerful self.  
  
"Huh? Who are you going with?" Kai asked, her nervousness changing into confusion.  
  
"Bakura of course," Elaine said as if Kai should have known that.  
  
She laughed at her friend and got up, taking the phone with her into the kitchen. "What, and have you asked him?"  
  
"Well, no, not exactly, but he'd say yes."  
  
"You twit, you can't go on a date without asking your date!" she said, laughing.  
  
"Well, you can ask yours first. And then you can ask Bakura for me."  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure. And who's /my/ date?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip. "If you say Carlos, I swear I'll shoot you."  
  
At this Elaine cracked up. "/Carlos/?" she cried. "Are you /kidding/? No way! I'm talking about /Yugi/! Duh!"  
  
Kai's stomach dropped at the thought of asking Yami out. "Oh, yeah, right. That'll happen when snowballs roll uphill in the summertime."  
  
"Aw, come on! You know you want to," she said in a teasing voice. "You're just scared."  
  
"That may work on Carlos, but it certainly won't work with me. You should know /that/ by now, Elaine."  
  
"Chicken."  
  
Kai sighed. "Anyway, how would I ask him without the others knowing?"  
  
"Um... you don't have to," she said slowly. "You'd be asking him out."  
  
"No, I wouldn't. This is ridiculous. And I'm not going to ask Bakura out for you. Here, you do it," she said on sudden inspiration, walking into the living room and handing the phone to Bakura, Elaine protesting on the other end.  
  
"No! It was a joke!" she cried as Bakura took the phone with an odd look at Kai.  
  
"Hello?" he said, confused. Kai heard her cry out as he took it. She clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized her mistake.  
  
"Um... hi," he said after he realized who it was. He was now sufficiently confused and Kai was trying hard not to laugh.  
  
- Well, next time maybe you won't try to trick me, - she thought.  
  
"Uh, all right," Bakura said, handing the phone back to Kai with a puzzled look. "She wants to talk to you," he said.  
  
Kai laughed and took the phone. "Hello?" she asked.  
  
"You idiot!" Elaine screamed. "I was /joking/! I don't /really/ want to go out with him!"  
  
"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Kai asked with an evil grin. "Next time you might think twice before playing with my mind."  
  
"Oooh," she growled. "If you /ever/ do that again...!"  
  
"You'll what?" Kai challenged.  
  
"I'll... I'll tell Carlos how you feel about Yugi," she said defiantly.  
  
Kai got up and went back into the kitchen. "What, I think of him as a friend? Ooh, now I'm scared."  
  
"Yeah, right. I'm sure Carlos would love to know where you were before you passed out at my house," she said.  
  
Kai froze a second. She'd never hear the end of it from Carlos if he knew. Not that Elaine would either, but somehow when Carlos teased it was worse. "I was just showing Yugi something," she said.  
  
"I'm sure," Elaine said with a laugh.  
  
"No! Elaine, get your mind out of the gutter! A /place/! I was showing him a /place/!" Kai said, not wanting her to know exactly where she had been.  
  
"Okay, whatever you say. But, if you decide to ask him out or kiss him or something, you will let me know, right?"  
  
"Elaine!" Kai cried, making her friends in the other room give her odd looks. She saw them raise their eyebrows and she grinned sheepishly and blushed. "Great, now you've got the gang looking at me like I've gone insane."  
  
Elaine started laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "Oh, yes! Blame it all on me why don't you?"  
  
"I'm hanging up now. Good bye," Kai said with a mock smile.  
  
"Oh, hey! Wait a sec..." Elaine was cut off by the click of her friend hanging up the phone.  
  
Kai went back into the living room and sat down next to Bakura again. "Elaine was just being weird again, sorry. And Bakura, exactly what did she say to you?" she asked, grinning.  
  
"Uh, she just said to give the phone back to you. What was that about?" he asked, confused.  
  
Kai laughed and said, "Nothing. We just like playing jokes on each other, that's all."  
  
"Oh," he said, giving her a funny look.  
  
"Oh, rats!" Kai exclaimed, picking up the phone again. "I forgot to tell Elaine to tell Carlos he has to fix my drawer." She quickly dialed her friend's number and gave her the message.  
  
"He'll be over about five, is that okay?" she asked her friends when she got off the phone.  
  
"That's fine with me," Joey said and the others nodded.  
  
"Cool," Kai said, happy once more. The memory of what had happened earlier was temporarily driven from her mind.  
  
&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*  
  
a/n: All right. This is just the beginning. You just wait. There are many more chapters left and once they get going, you won't want them to end! So, review and I'll post more! 


	19. Power Of The Mind

a/n: All right, we figure a little out in this chapter, but what you now know could fit on the head of a pin compared to what's really there. So, review and I'll keep posting...  
  
$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%  
  
"Hello."  
  
Kai was staring at a grinning Carlos in the doorframe. "Yeah, yeah, get in here," she said, pulling him inside.  
  
He stumbled through the door and she closed it behind him. "Over here you twit," she said as he began to wander into the kitchen in the direction of the refrigerator.  
  
"Oh, heh heh, the drawer. Right," he said, trying to give her an innocent grin but failing terribly.  
  
Kai rolled her eyes and pointed to the drawer that had broken earlier. "That one there," she said. "I'll be down the hall if you need me."  
  
"Hey, aren't you going to keep me company?" he asked, trying to give her puppy dog eyes.  
  
She snorted and sat on the back of the couch. "Okay, fine. For a bit, until I get tired of you."  
  
The rest of the gang was in the boys' bedroom. She had been there with them a few minutes earlier, before Carlos knocked on the door. Kai had already set the tools he needed by the drawer, so she didn't have to get them after he arrived.  
  
He reached over to tousle her hair, but she grabbed his hand tightly and held it in the air above her head.  
  
"Don't mess with my hair," she warned, grinning.  
  
He grinned to and attacked her stomach with his other hand. She squeaked and fell backwards onto the couch. Kai was now very thankful she had chosen to wear jeans that day.  
  
"Help me up," she said, laughing as she held up a hand.  
  
"Okay," he said, taking it and grinning evilly. He pulled her halfway up, then let go. This time she flipped all the way over, landing on her feet on the floor. She brushed herself off, then folded her arms.  
  
"You're far too dangerous to be around," she said.  
  
"Yeah, that's why I'm your best friend, right?" he said, grinning.  
  
Kai rolled her eyes. "I'll be in the room down the hall, all right? You can come in when you're done."  
  
"Just leave me here to do your dirty work, that's right," he said, folding his arms.  
  
"So glad you approve. See you!" she said, waving as she headed down the hall.  
  
"What...?" he asked, confused. He sighed and started work on the drawer.  
  
Kai went down the hall and put her hand out to grab the doorknob. The door was slightly ajar from when she had run out to let Carlos in. She wasn't expecting the knob to be drawn to her hand as if she were a magnet.  
  
She gasped and immediately let go, stepping backwards. She glanced over at Carlos, hoping he hadn't seen. He was completely oblivious to anything that went on around him as he worked on the drawer and hummed a stupid song he made up as he went along.  
  
Trying to calm herself down for fear of her friends noticing anything, she reached out for the doorknob again. This time it let her grab hold of it instead of doing it itself. She pulled it open quickly as if it might try to bite her, then let go when the opening was big enough for her to get through.  
  
She entered the room, looking over her shoulder at it briefly. Kai sat down on the bed next to Joey and tried to look like nothing happened. She attempted to act as if she knew what was going on in their conversation, but Yami could see something was wrong.  
  
Her headache started to sear, but she tried not to let it show. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. She screamed and jumped off the bed, spinning around to see Carlos.  
  
"You idiot!" she cried, hitting him in the arm.  
  
"Ow! Okay! Geez!" he cried, though he laughing along with the rest of the gang. "That was pretty funny," he said after she had stopped hitting him.  
  
She scowled at him as she tried to get her heart rate down to normal again. "It was not," she said.  
  
"Yeah, it was," he said, grinning at her and dodging another attack. "Anyway, I've finished your drawer. That'll be $12.50," he said, holding out his hand.  
  
Kai snorted and knocked it away. "Yeah right. /Forget it/."  
  
"Oh, I see how you are. You leave me all alone to do /your/ work and you won't even pay me for it," Carlos said, folding his arms.  
  
"You have a paying job already!" she said. "You most definitely don't need my money."  
  
"All right, I may not need it, but I want it," he said, giving her a defiant grin.  
  
"Oh, would you just shut up? I'm not gonna' pay you for heaven's sake. You should be doing it for me because I'm your best friend," she said, putting on her best 'innocent' look.  
  
He snorted. "Yeah right. So, what are you going to do for me in return?"  
  
"Um... nothing," she said, giving him a mock grin.  
  
"Hey, now that's not fair!" he said as she pushed him out the door.  
  
"Life never is," she said, continuing to push him backwards until he was outside. She smiled at him before closing the door in his face.  
  
She dusted off her hands, then turned around to head back to the room. She suddenly heard a click and she turned back around to look at the door. It had locked itself. She covered her mouth with her hand as her head seared again.  
  
She stumbled backwards, running into something. She jumped forward and spun around, crying out, her heart racing.  
  
Yami stood there, a concerned look on his face. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
Kai's head felt like it was about to explode and she cried out, pressing her hands to her temples. She started to sink to the floor, but Yami stopped her and led her to the couch.  
  
"Yugi... I don't know what's happening..." she said, wincing with pain.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked, concern in his voice.  
  
"I know things... before they happen... I knew the phone was going to ring, and I knew it would be Elaine... and... the door just locked by itself and before the... the door to the bedroom just sort of... came to my hand... something's happening... I can feel it..." she said, growing more nervous as she recalled everything.  
  
Yami stared at her. "What's happening?" he asked, confused.  
  
"I don't know! But it has something to do with this headache!" she cried, jumping up from her seat, her hands still pressed against her temples. "I feel like someone's rearranging my mind!"  
  
She turned and ran for the front door. She unlocked it quickly, then ran outside. Yami ran after her, catching up to her before she fell from the pain. He caught her and spun her around to face him.  
  
"Kai! Calm down!" he cried, holding onto her shoulders. Her eyes were shut tight and she was wincing in pain.  
  
~ - What's happening? - ~ Yugi asked, worried.  
  
Kai's eyes snapped open and she stumbled away from Yami. "No... no!" she cried.  
  
"Kai!" Yami said, grabbing her shoulders again. "Stop! You have to calm down! Tell me what's going on," he said.  
  
"I don't know! I don't know!" she cried.  
  
Slowly, the pain began to diminish. Her breathing was still rapid and her heart rate was through the roof. She let herself collapse into Yami's arms and he held her up, somewhat surprised.  
  
He wasn't quite sure what to say or do. He had no idea what was going on or why. And, apparently, neither did Kai. Was there something he could do to help her? Or would she have to go through this alone?  
  
A few seconds later, she pulled away. "I... I'm sorry... I... just don't know what's going on and... and it's scaring me," she said, fear evident in her eyes.  
  
"I don't know what's happening either," he said. "From what you've said, it seems like you're gaining power of the mind, but that isn't possible."  
  
She stared at him, panic flooding through her. "What? No... that can't be right... I... I don't know how to control it! I can't!"  
  
"Have you tried?" he asked.  
  
"It comes and goes! I can't... I don't know how!" she cried.  
  
"Try to read my mind," he said.  
  
"No... I don't want..." she started, but he interrupted.  
  
"Try," he said.  
  
Her pulse starting to race again, she concentrated. After a few seconds, she shook her head. "I don't know the first thing about this! I don't know how to do this! How am I supposed to read your mind when I don't know how?"  
  
"Maybe you were right when you said you felt like someone was rearranging your mind," he said, thinking about it.  
  
"What?" she asked, her eyes widening.  
  
"Something is making you able to do these things. We just need to figure out what," he said.  
  
"How are we supposed to do /that/?" she cried, spreading her hands and staring at him.  
  
"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before."  
  
"Yeah, well, that makes two of us!" she said, rather scared. "I want this gone, Yugi. I want to get rid of it. I don't like it and it /hurts/! Every time it happens, my head hurts!"  
  
She folded her arms and stared at the ground, breathing heavily.  
  
"How often does it happen?" he asked.  
  
She looked up at him. "I don't know, uh... every couple of hours since yesterday I guess. It varies... I don't know," she said, growing frustrated.  
  
Yami stared at her for a moment. "Let me know when it happens again. Maybe we can figure something out then."  
  
"When it happens I'm pretty much useless, you saw me," she said, going slightly red.  
  
"You should still let me know. I might be able to come up with something," he said.  
  
She nodded and shuddered slightly. "Yeah, all right."  
  
She walked across the lawn and slid down the trunk of the old oak. She hugged her knees and buried her face in them. Yami went over and sat beside her and gently touched her shoulder. He had no idea what to do and he was extremely confused. But the confusion was only beginning...  
  
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a/n: All right. Um... cliffhanger!! So, review and I'll post, kay? (*_*) 


	20. Questions

a/n: All right, a few before notes:  
  
~ Anything like this is what Kai can hear, or a song ~  
  
{ Anything like this is a dream }  
  
- Anything like this is a thought. Yami and Yugi's talking to each other look the same as this -  
  
/Anything like this is in italics/  
  
"And you all know what this is" ^_^  
  
All right, that's all for now. I'll let you know if any more weird thingys come up.  
  
##################################################################################  
  
{ ~ In the crystalline knowledge of you. ~  
  
Kai was watching herself... she was five... by the old oak with her grandmother...  
  
Her grandmother was carving something into the wood...  
  
Kai moved closer to see and she recognized it as her grandmother spoke.  
  
"See, Cleo and Kai forever. Kai, that's you. Cleo, that's me," her grandmother said and Kai found herself saying it with her.  
  
Kai looked at the trunk of the oak to see the words carved inside a heart. She looked back at her grandmother and slowly the scene disappeared. }  
  
Kai opened her eyes to daylight shining through the window. She rolled her head to the side to see that Tea was gone.  
  
- She must already be up, - Kai thought. She sat up and yawned.  
  
She remembered her dream vividly and it was making her think. She had had dreams about her grandmother before, but they never really made sense. Now, they were more like memories. She had forgotten about the carving on the tree. So why after all those years could she remember it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday? Things weren't adding up.  
  
Pushing that aside, she got up and dressed. She nearly had a heart attack when she looked at her watch. 11:46 a.m.  
  
"Oh no!" she cried, running out into the living room to where her friends sat. "Why didn't you guys wake me up?" she asked.  
  
"Yugi told us what happened yesterday," Tea said. "We thought you could use a little extra sleep."  
  
Kai stared at them. "Ah, right, that. Well, um..." she started, feeling embarrassed. "Do you all think I'm going nuts?"  
  
"No way! Whatever this is, we're gonna' figure it out," Joey said and the rest of them nodded.  
  
Kai came and sat down next to Tristan. "Yeah, thanks. I just wish I knew what was going on. It's really freaking me out."  
  
"I can imagine!" Tea said and Kai grinned.  
  
"You know, maybe it won't be so bad. Not many people can do stuff with their mind," Tristan said.  
  
"Well, you can have it. I have no interest in it at all. I'm perfectly happy the way I am," Kai said.  
  
"You may not have a choice, Kai," Yami said and she looked at him.  
  
"Gee, you sure know how to cheer someone up," she joked. He just chuckled while the others laughed.  
  
"By the way, Carlos called," Bakura said.  
  
Kai looked in his direction. "Oh really? What'd he want?"  
  
"He wanted to talk to you," Yami replied. "He didn't sound too happy."  
  
"Hm, I wonder what's eating him," she said. "He's been kind of weird lately. He was fine when we went over his house. I don't know. He /is/ weird altogether. Well, I guess I'd better call him then, huh?"  
  
She got up and went to the phone, dialing Carlos' number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Yeah, what do you want?" Kai asked when he picked up.  
  
She could hear him grin on the other end. "To annoy you of course."  
  
"All right, do you have a /good/ reason for calling?" she asked, sighing. "I do have other things I could be doing."  
  
"Like what?" he asked.  
  
"Like... er... stuff," she said, trying to think of something.  
  
"Oh, well that sounds very important," Carlos said.  
  
"Shut up," Kai laughed.  
  
"You don't usually sleep in. What happened?" he asked.  
  
"Eh, I haven't been sleeping really well lately, that's all," she lied. "No big thing."  
  
"Oh, okay. And here I was thinking you were out partying all night," he joked.  
  
"Yeah, that's it Carlos," Kai said dryly. "You've got it."  
  
He laughed. "So what are you doing now?"  
  
"Um... talking to you," she said slowly.  
  
"Kai, I know /that/. /Before/ you called me."  
  
"Um, talking to the gang."  
  
"'Bout what?"  
  
"That's none of your business!" Kai said, laughing at his nerve.  
  
"All right, all right," he said. "Don't blow a fuse."  
  
"Look, I'm starved, I'm going to go eat, okay?" she said.  
  
"Why don't we go to lunch? I haven't eaten yet either," he said.  
  
"Thanks, but no thanks. I can't," she said, sounding apologetic.  
  
"What, because you have guests?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she said. "Sorry."  
  
- Yeah, wouldn't want to make Yugi think we're /dating/ or anything, - Carlos thought bitterly. "Eh, no problem. Okay, talk to you later then," he said.  
  
"Okay, bye."  
  
They hung up and Kai sat back down next to Tristan. "Sorry about that," she said.  
  
"That's all right," Tea said.  
  
"I really am starved, so I'm going to get something to eat. Do you guys want anything?" she asked.  
  
They shook their heads and she shrugged. She went into the kitchen to make herself a sandwich. Kai opened the refrigerator and pulled out the ham and Swiss. She made the sandwich quickly, then went to put the ingredients away. The refrigerator door was slightly ajar.  
  
- Hm, that's odd. I thought I closed that, - she thought. But, she shrugged it off and put the items away. Suddenly, her head began to sear. - Oh, no, not again... -  
  
She pressed her hands to the sides of her head and backed into the counter. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was trying not to cry out. She felt as though she were spinning as the cabinets began to snap open and shut. She opened her eyes, her heart racing in her chest.  
  
- What's happening to me? - she screamed in her head.  
  
Panic stricken, she ran out of the kitchen, only to have the pictures on the walls in the living room start to shake.  
  
Yami's head snapped up to look at her. He jumped from his seat and ran around the couch to her, but she backed up, her hands still pressed against her temples.  
  
"No... stay away... I don't know what I can do..." she said. The front door flung open, causing the gang to jump backwards.  
  
"Calm down... try to control it," Yami said, slowly approaching her.  
  
"I... can't! It's controlling me!" she cried.  
  
He took another step forward, but suddenly felt himself flying backwards. He hit the couch and slid down it to the floor.  
  
"Yugi!" Tea cried as the gang ran over to him.  
  
"I'm fine," Yami said, standing up.  
  
Then, as quickly as it had started, everything stopped. The pictures on the wall were stationary once again and the gang looked around the room, then at Kai.  
  
Kai's eyes opened for a second, panic visible in them. Then she collapsed to the floor. Yami ran over to her and dropped to his knees. He felt her pulse to be sure it was normal.  
  
"That was really weird!" Joey said, kneeling beside Yami.  
  
"Is she all right?" Tea asked.  
  
"What's happening to her?" Bakura asked.  
  
"I don't know," Yami replied. He touched her shoulder and her eyes squeezed shut before opening. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know," she said. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," he replied.  
  
He helped her stand up and led her to the couch. They sat down with Tea and Bakura on the couch with them and Tristan and Joey sitting on the coffee table in front of Kai. She was shaking slightly, but other than that, she was all right.  
  
"Something's making me do this. Something's making it happen," she said, looking at her hands.  
  
"Do you know what it is?" Yami asked.  
  
"No. But it's getting stronger. It's getting worse. I can feel it. Whatever it is, is growing inside my mind. Taking over," she said, touching her temple with her fingers. The pain had diminished, but it was still there.  
  
"What do you mean?" Joey asked.  
  
"I... don't know," she said. "I don't understand it."  
  
"We'll figure it out. This thing won't get the best of you while we're here to help you," Tristan said.  
  
"I don't think there's anything you can do, Tristan," Kai said. "I... I think whatever it is wants to be left alone. It wants to finish what it started. Even if we did figure out how to stop it, I don't know if... I might not be the same. Like you see in all those movies. Once it starts, if you stop it, you kill the person."  
  
"No way! That's not gonna' happen!" Joey said.  
  
"But, Joey... what if she's right?" Tea asked, looking at Kai with a worried expression.  
  
"What? That's in the movies, Tea! This is real life. That's not gonna' happen!" Joey said. Despite his convincing tone, Yami saw the nervousness in his eyes.  
  
"I hope you're right, Joey," Kai said. "I really hope you're right."  
  
"We have to figure out a way to stop this. Whatever's happening is hurting Kai. That's the second time you've passed out," Bakura said.  
  
"Before we can stop it, we have to figure out what it is," Yami said.  
  
Kai put her face in her hands and breathed deeply for a few seconds, trying to calm down and ease the shaking.  
  
"Do you have any idea? When it happens can you feel anything besides the pain?" Yami asked.  
  
Kai took her face out of her hands and shook her head. "No."  
  
"When did it start?" Bakura asked.  
  
"Um, a few days ago," Kai replied.  
  
"What about your headache? When did that start?" he asked.  
  
"Uh, I don't know. I... I think around when we went over to Carlos'. Um, now that I think about it, I had a slight pain that night. After that it had been constant. Why?" she asked.  
  
"It never happened before?" Bakura asked.  
  
"No, I've never been able to read minds before. That's new for me. Why the interrogation?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Nothing," he said, though he looked as though he was deep in thought.  
  
"What is it, Bakura?" Yami asked.  
  
"Doesn't it seem weird to you that a few days after we arrive, Kai suddenly starts being able to do this stuff?" Bakura asked.  
  
"That's ridiculous. What, you think if you leave I'll go back to normal?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," he said.  
  
"How could it possibly be us, Bakura? It's not like we can do any of that stuff," Tea said.  
  
"Yeah," Bakura replied. "You're right. It's probably just a coincidence."  
  
"I don't see how it could be anything else," Yami said.  
  
"So, what have we come to? Am I going to have to wait it out?" Kai asked.  
  
"Until we know more, that's the only thing to do," Yami said.  
  
"How'll we know more? When'll we know more?" Kai asked him.  
  
"I think that depends on you," he replied.  
  
"Me? But I don't know anything about this!" she protested.  
  
"But you're the one it's happening to. If something happens that's different from what's going on now, let us know," he said. "We may not be able to help the pain, but we'll be able to keep you safe."  
  
"Different how? What do you mean when you say if something different happens?" she asked.  
  
"Anything," Yami replied.  
  
"You know, I saw a movie once where an alien took over some guy's body and talked to him in his dreams," Tristan said. "Have you been having weird dreams?"  
  
"Tristan, I don't think an alien's taken over my body. And no, I haven't been having weird dreams," she said.  
  
"I guess all we can do is wait it out," Joey said.  
  
"I guess," she replied. "This is really starting to freak me out."  
  
"It's freaking all of us out, Kai," Tea said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.  
  
"Sorry I'm getting you guys into this. Maybe you should go. I don't want to wind up hurting any of you. I've already thrown Yugi across the room," she said, cringing at the memory.  
  
"No way! We're staying right here!" Joey said.  
  
"Yeah! We're not going to leave when our friend needs our help," Tea said.  
  
"Thanks," Kai said gratefully.  
  
Why did she have a feeling things were only going to get worse?  
  
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a/n: All right, another chapter down. My fic is nowhere near complete, though. It's only getting interesting now. Get ready for things to take a sudden drop from humorous. Oh, yeah, the angsty part is coming up too. Well, review and tell me how you're liking it. I won't update if I don't get reviews. 


	21. A Day With Carlos

a/n: All right. I think I need a few disclaimers here...  
  
I don't own Crystal's Cafe'. I actually know a restaurant called that. And I don't own the movie, The Golden Years. That's Stephen King's. Who ROCKS!!! ^_^ I have two of his books and seen most of his movies. Obsessed? Me? Never.  
  
&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*  
  
*Ring*  
  
The telephone woke Kai up the next morning. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but the phone rang again. She groaned and sat up.  
  
*Ring*  
  
- That is actually ringing, right? - she thought, looking at Tea, who was fast asleep.  
  
*Ring*  
  
- All right, I'm coming, don't blow a fuse. - Kai got out of bed and went into the living room.  
  
"Hello?" she asked, putting the receiver to her ear.  
  
"Hey, Kai," Carlos replied.  
  
"Carlos? Why aren't you at Randy's?" she asked, looking at her watch.  
  
"I got the day off," he replied. "Why don't we go bowling or something. It's been a while since we just hung out."  
  
"Um... well, the gang is still asleep..." she started, but was cut off.  
  
"Ever since they came you haven't wanted to hang out with me anymore! I'm your best friend, remember?" he said, making Kai stare at the phone in surprise.  
  
"Of course! But... they're staying with me... don't you think that would be sort of rude?" she asked.  
  
"No," he replied. "You have a life too. One that doesn't revolve around them. All I want you to do is spend the day with me. Without them."  
  
"Um..." she started. - What if I start having those weird things happening again? Carlos doesn't know! - "Yeah, okay. When?" she said finally.  
  
She could hear him smile on the other end of the phone. "How about an hour? Meet me at the bowling ally, okay?"  
  
"All right. See you then." She hung up and stared at the phone a minute. - What if I do something? What if I hurt him? -  
  
Then another thought came to her. Carlos was acting so weird. It was almost as if he was jealous of her new friends. He would always be her best friend, no matter how many other people she met. What was wrong with him?  
  
Pushing that out of her mind, she went to get ready to meet him.  
  
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A half hour later, Kai was ready to go. Before she headed out the door, she wrote a note to the gang and left it on the kitchen table. She hesitated once before leaving.  
  
She closed the door behind her, her purse on her arm. The air was warm and there was a nice breeze blowing. She wore shorts and a lime green tank top that Carlos had once said he liked. She laughed, remembering the way he blushed when she had raised her eyebrow at him. He had always been a bit weird.  
  
She walked down the road, humming softly to herself. She realized it was the song her grandmother used to sing to her and she stopped for a moment. Remembering her grandmother always made her feel down.  
  
But, she quickly shook it off as she continued towards the bowling ally. She was going to see Carlos and he always made her feel better. He was the one that had been there for her when Gran didn't come back. He had taken care of her and that seemed to strengthen their friendship. They were as close as if they were related and Kai was glad.  
  
Kai looked up at the sky to see a flock of birds fly over. She laughed, remembering back a few years. It had been the same situation with the birds, only Carlos had been with her. They had been talking when suddenly something splatted on his head. He just stood there a second, disgusted, while Kai started laughing uncontrollably. He had to go home and take a shower after that and he wasn't altogether happy about it. But it had been really funny.  
  
After that, Carlos had always raised an arm over his head when birds flew over. He seemed to think that would protect him if a pigeon ever decided to do a little target practice.  
  
A few minutes later, Kai entered the bowling ally. She looked around and wasn't surprised when she didn't see Carlos. He was never on time. He seemed to /try/ to be late. She shook her head and laughed. He had many flaws, but he was still her best friend. She didn't mind waiting for him and it was a good thing too.  
  
Carlos strolled in a little while later, his hands in his pockets. "Hello," he said to her.  
  
"I see you're upholding your reputation as the King of being late," Kai said dryly.  
  
"That's me," he replied, grinning.  
  
Kai rolled her eyes. "Are we going to stand here all day or are we going to get a lane?"  
  
"All right, all right, keep your hair on," Carlos said, walking past her to the counter. He paid for a game and for the shoes and they were soon assigned a lane.  
  
"So, who's going first?" Kai asked, sitting down by the score pad.  
  
"You want to go? You'll need all the help you can get," Carlos said.  
  
"Oh, shut up. You're no better at this than I am," she said, punching in their names. "But, if you want me to go first, that's fine with me."  
  
They chose their bowling balls and Kai took her position in front of the lane. Her first roll was a definite gutter. She came back to wait for her ball while Carlos laughed.  
  
"Shut up," she said, grinning.  
  
"What happened to you? You used to be pretty good!" he said.  
  
"I'm just warming up," she replied, taking her ball when it came back. She ran down to the lane and rolled the ball down it. Her eyes widened as it went straight down the center. She crossed her fingers as it hit the pins in the center. When all the pins that were going to fall had, only two remained standing.  
  
"A /split/?" she cried.  
  
Carlos cracked up. "It's a good thing that was your last go. I'd hate to see how you'd go about knocking /those/ down!"  
  
"Oh, shut up. I hit pins, didn't I?" she said.  
  
"Amateur," Carlos said, picking up his ball. "Watch this." He ran up to the lane and rolled the ball dead down the center. When it struck the pins, they all fell. "Oh, yeah!"  
  
Kai rolled her eyes. "Big deal. Don't worry, I'll beat you yet," she said, taking her turn.  
  
As the game progressed, nearly every ball the friends bowled was a strike or spare. It had been a while since Carlos had taken her bowling and she had thought she would have forgotten how by now. But, it seemed that it had stuck with her.  
  
When the game came to an end, Carlos had won, but not by much. They changed their shoes and set them on the counter as they passed by to leave.  
  
- I bet she doesn't have this much fun when she's with Yugi, - Carlos thought as they left the ally.  
  
"So, what do you want to do now?" Kai asked, adjusting her purse on her shoulder.  
  
Carlos checked his watch. "It's about noon, why don't we grab lunch. I don't know about you, but I'm starved."  
  
"So nice of you to treat me," she said with a sly grin.  
  
"Who said /that/?" he asked.  
  
"Well, it was your idea, wasn't it?" she asked.  
  
Carlos rolled his eyes.  
  
"So, where are we going?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. How about Crystal's Cafe'?" he suggested.  
  
"Sounds good to me," she replied.  
  
They started down the street, talking about random things that didn't matter. Neither of them would remember what it was they had said by the next day.  
  
They arrived at Crystal's Cafe' a few minutes later. Carlos opened the door and held it for Kai with an exaggerated bow. She laughed and curtsied.  
  
"Thank you sir," she said, grinning.  
  
The two of them earned many odd looks from customers as they entered. A hostess greeted them shortly.  
  
"Two?" she asked and they nodded. "Smoking or non?"  
  
"Non," Carlos replied.  
  
She nodded and grabbed two menus on the way to their table. Carlos and Kai sat down and the hostess put the menus in front of them.  
  
"Someone will be with you in a minute," she said, walking away.  
  
Kai picked up her menu and studied it. She saw Carlos do the same over the top of her menu. A few minutes later, a waitress came over.  
  
"Hi, my name is Rina and I'll be your server today. Do you know what you want to drink?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"Water, no lemon for me thanks," Kai said, smiling back at her.  
  
"Pepsi here," Carlos said.  
  
"All right, I'll be back in a minute," Rina said, leaving the table.  
  
"You know what you want?" Carlos asked Kai as she picked up her menu again.  
  
"Carlos, I barely looked at what's available! Give me a minute," she said, laughing.  
  
"I'm getting a Ruben," he said.  
  
Kai gave him a thumbs up. "Good for you," she said. "I think I'll get a BLT." She set her menu down and folded her arms on top of it, looking at Carlos.  
  
He leaned forward and rested his own arms on the table. "It must be fun for you, staying in a house with four guys," he said, looking her directly in the eye.  
  
Despite the fact that he was grinning, she could feel something wasn't quite right. Her head throbbed for a moment, as if it wanted to make her do something, but it stopped shortly. She was left with a sense that something would happen by the end of the day, and she was pretty sure it wasn't going to be good.  
  
Snapping back into reality, she realized Carlos must want an answer. "Um... well, I guess so... I mean, they're my friends..." she said, trying to concentrate on what she was saying.  
  
- Why is she stammering? - Carlos thought furiously. "Oh, I see," he said, forcing the grin to stay on his face.  
  
"What?" she asked, genuinely confused. She caught on as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh! Carlos, get your mind out of the gutters. There's nothing going /on/ between any of us."  
  
- Not yet anyway, - he thought. "/Really/?" he asked, keeping his eyebrow up.  
  
Kai reached across the table and smacked him in the head. "No, there's nothing going /on/." Then, she grinned. "I /may/ like Yugi, but I'm not sure yet."  
  
The news hit Carlos like a ton of bricks. "You're not sure? How can you not be sure?" he asked.  
  
Kai laughed. She didn't notice that Carlos' eyes had darkened. "I don't know, I'm just... not sure. But, you can't say anything to him, got it? If you do, I'll never speak to you again."  
  
"And that would be a bad thing?" he asked, trying to keep his composure.  
  
"Oh, shut up," she said, grinning. Carlos was known to bug her about her crushes. He'd tease her long after she had gotten over the guy, but always seemed to know just when to stop.  
  
Sure, he had teased her about other guys, but they had never posed a real threat. He wasn't quite sure why, but somehow he sensed that Yami was different from the rest. If she went with him, Carlos felt as though his only chance would go out the window.  
  
"Nah, I won't say anything," he said as Rina came back.  
  
She set Carlos' Pepsi down and did the same with Kai's water. "Do you know what you're having?" she asked cheerfully.  
  
"Ruben," Carlos said simply.  
  
"All right, and you?" she asked Kai.  
  
"A BLT will be fine," Kai said, handing Rina her menu.  
  
"You got it," the waitress said, taking Carlos' menu. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your orders."  
  
Carlos stared at Kai. "But why /Yugi/?" he asked, confused.  
  
Kai smiled and looked down at her hands. "I don't know," she said. "He's... kinda' cute I guess. And he's most definitely nicer than you, that's for sure," she laughed.  
  
- Time to change the subject, - he thought furiously. "So, after this, where do you want to go? How about a movie?" he asked.  
  
"But... it's not movie night," she said, looking at him.  
  
"So? Who cares," Carlos replied.  
  
Kai shrugged. "Do you have something in mind?"  
  
"Not a clue."  
  
She laughed. "All right. So we are making plans to go to a movie that we haven't got the foggiest idea of what it's about."  
  
"That's about the size of it," Carlos said, grinning despite himself.  
  
"Sounds good to me," Kai said, laughing.  
  
The rest of lunch went well and soon Kai had forgotten the feeling she had about the end of the day. They went on to watch the movie, The Golden Years. At first Carlos had wanted to pick the movie, but since it wasn't movie night, they compromised.  
  
The Golden Years turned out to be a good movie. It was about a man who all of a sudden was absorbing lots of knowledge and couldn't stop. It turned out in the end that aliens had forced him to absorb all that and one night rid him of it all. They had picked one man to teach them about Earth.  
  
When they got out of the movie theater, it was about three p.m.  
  
"I probably should get back," Kai said once they were standing on the sidewalk.  
  
Carlos nodded, reluctant to let her go back to Yami without him. "Yeah, okay. I'll walk you," he said.  
  
Kai smiled. "Thanks. I had fun today. It was good to spend some time with you again," she said.  
  
He smiled back and put his arm around her as they headed home.  
  
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a/n: All right. What's gonna' happen when they get back? You gotta' review to find out! ^_^ 


	22. Feelings On One Side

a/n: Here is where things between Kai and Carlos get a bit interesting... And the next chapter holds a twist that even I didn't know about until yesterday... heh heh, more on that next chapter...  
  
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They arrived home a little while later, Carlos' arm still draped around Kai's shoulders. About halfway up the lawn, he looked at her.  
  
"So, am I not going to see you for the next two weeks, or what?" he asked.  
  
Kai laughed and shoved him away. "Shut up," she said.  
  
Carlos grinned and came back at her, grabbing her wrist and swinging her around into the oak tree. He pinned her there and watched her a moment as she laughed. His heart pounded with anticipation, knowing that even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't be able to stop now.  
  
Kai's laughter faded as she noticed the odd way he was looking at her. "What?" she asked, confused. Her head throbbed slightly to let her know that this was what she had felt earlier and her heart started to race. She tried to back into the tree, but couldn't escape his hand that went to her face.  
  
Becoming nervous, she put her hand on top of Carlos' and avoided his eyes. "Carlos... w-what are you doing?" she asked, looking at him.  
  
He said nothing, but lowered his lips to hers. Kai froze a moment, her heart pounding in her ears. Whatever was making her do these strange things had told her about this, but she hadn't let the information into her conscious mind. She hadn't wanted to know.  
  
Now panic was flooding through her and she managed to find the strength to push him away. She stared into his eyes a moment, then moved past him.  
  
"Kai..." Carlos tried, feeling his heart shatter.  
  
"I... I have to go," she interrupted, backing away a few steps. Then, she turned and ran back to the house.  
  
Carlos leaned back against the tree, crushed. His throat tightened and he put his hand over his face to hide any tears that might show themselves. Slowly, his pain mixed with anger at both Yami and himself. If he hadn't waited so long... if Yami hadn't ever come...  
  
He punched the tree with the side of his fist, his teeth clenched. With one look back at the house, he started home with his hands in his pockets.  
  
@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@  
  
Kai ran to the front door and hurriedly pulled it open. She closed it behind her and leaned against it, her hand over her mouth.  
  
Yami and the gang looked up, surprised.  
  
"Are you all right?" Tea asked.  
  
Kai snapped her head in their direction, her heart pounding. Without saying anything, she bolted to her room, shutting the door.  
  
"Kai?" Tea asked, watching as her friend made a fast exit.  
  
"What's with her?" Tristan asked.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong," Bakura said, confused.  
  
"She looked pretty upset," Tea said, standing. "Come on."  
  
The gang went to her door and Tea knocked. "Kai, are you all right?" she asked. There was no answer. "Kai?"  
  
Tea put her hand on the doorknob and turned it, swinging the door open. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked inside. The room was empty. The breeze blowing in through the window made the curtains billow eerily.  
  
"Where'd she go?" Joey asked.  
  
"Joey, look," Bakura said, pointing to the window. "She must have climbed out."  
  
"But why?" Tristan asked. "And where'd she go?"  
  
"I know where she is," Yami said, leaving the room.  
  
The gang followed as he went to the front door.  
  
"Where?" Tea asked as he pulled it open.  
  
He paused a minute. "I can't tell you. You just have to trust me," he said, looking at them.  
  
"Huh? Why can't you tell us?" Joey asked.  
  
"I promised her I wouldn't. Kai may need my help, so I have to go. I'll be back in a little while," he replied. He left, leaving the gang staring after him in confusion.  
  
Yami started over to the woods by the side of the house, looking for the marks Kai said she had made on the trees. he found the first one shortly and followed it in. The trees were denser here than at Elaine's house and he had to untangle himself from thorns multiple times.  
  
He reached the clearing about five minutes later and he saw that he had been right. Kai was sitting on the log, her back towards him, staring out over the water.  
  
"Kai?" he asked gently, stepping forward.  
  
She jumped and looked over her shoulder at hem briefly. She quickly snapped her head back around and wiped her face with her sleeve. "Yugi... what are you doing here?" she asked quietly.  
  
If he had had any doubt in his mind that she had been crying, he was sure now. He climbed up onto the log and scooted over next to her.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, noting the way she was deliberately staring ahead to avoid his eyes.  
  
"Nothing," she said quickly, turning her head away from him.  
  
"Kai, you're upset and I can see that," Yami said, looking at her. Remembering the note she had left for him and the gang, he asked, "Is it Carlos?"  
  
Kai looked down at her hands and sniffed. "Yeah," she said softly.  
  
"What happened?" Did you get in a fight?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "No," she muttered.  
  
"Then what is it? I won't tell anyone if that's what you're afraid of," he said.  
  
"No, I know you won't," she said.  
  
"Kai..." he said, touching her shoulder.  
  
"He... kissed me," she said, looking at her hands and fiddling with them.  
  
Yami stared at her in surprise. He hadn't expected /that/ to be the problem. He managed to find his voice after a moment and said, "I take it you don't have feelings back."  
  
Kai looked up at him. "Yugi, he's my best friend! He's /been/ my best friend ever since I can remember! I can't /date/ him! I can't believe he wants to date /me/!" she said, looking back over the water. - No wonder he was asking me about Yugi, - she thought.  
  
Yami stared at her, unsure of what to say. He had seen the fact that Carlos was attracted to her a long time ago, but he hadn't expected him to do something like this. He didn't strike Yami to be the type to do something of this sort just out of the blue. He had obviously had feelings for her long before Yami had met him, so why would he choose now to act on it? Unless... unless he felt threatened. Yami recalled how Carlos had acted towards him and suddenly understood. Carlos was nervous that Kai was attracted to Yami and was pressured into kissing her for fear of losing her.  
  
Yami felt a slight bit of anger at Carlos. He had made Kai cry because he let his jealousy get the best of him. He had now endangered the friendship they had had for years.  
  
"I don't know what to do now," Kai said, staring at her hands.  
  
"I'll talk to him," Yami said and Kai snapped her head up to look at him.  
  
"That's not a good idea," she said. Carlos knew how she felt about Yami and he would be less than thrilled to see him.  
  
Yami was aware that his presence would be unwelcome, but he had made up his mind to do whatever he could to save their friendship. "It'll be fine," he said.  
  
"Yugi..." she tried, but fell silent when Yami touched her shoulder reassuringly. "Thank you," she muttered, looking back at her hands.  
  
Yami nodded, though she couldn't see him. "Are you all right now?" he asked gently.  
  
She nodded and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm okay."  
  
"Why don't we head back?" Yami asked.  
  
"All right," she replied.  
  
Yami helped her off the log and she smiled gratefully. He gave her a warm smile in return and she almost forgot about Carlos as their gaze locked. She had never noticed how stunning his violet eyes were until now. As he turned and started back through the forest, she couldn't help thinking that if it had been Yami instead of Carlos who had kissed her, she might not have pulled away.  
  
She quickly shook herself out of it and followed Yami. She saw him following the marks on the trees and smiled internally. She wasn't exactly sure what about this made her smile, but she didn't mind.  
  
They said nothing to each other as they made their way through the forest. Kai had to untangle him from several thorn vines and she couldn't help but find him cute when he got slightly frustrated with the plants.  
  
"It might help if you used your eyes," Kai joked and he chuckled.  
  
"How do you manage to get through her?" Yami asked, moving a vine out of his way with two fingers.  
  
She giggled. "I just know where they all are, I guess," she said as they left the forest.  
  
Yami walked her to the door, but didn't enter the house with her. "I'm going to talk to Carlos. I'll be back in a little while," he said and Kai stared at him.  
  
"What, now? Are you mad?" she exclaimed. "Even /I/ don't..."  
  
Yami interrupted her. "I'll be all right. I'll see you later."  
  
He turned to go and Kai ran after him. "I'm coming too," she stated.  
  
"Kai, you'll only make things worse. It's best if I do this alone," Yami said, looking at her.  
  
She stared at him, trying to decide what to do. She was aware that her presence would make Carlos uncomfortable, but if Yami went alone, Carlos was libel to beat him up. When Carlos was jealous, it practically took over and he did things he wouldn't usually. If Kai was there, at least he wouldn't hurt Yami.  
  
But, she just nodded. She figured Yami could take care of himself. "Just... be careful, all right? When Carlos gets like this... well..."  
  
"I understand," Yami replied. He turned and headed down the lawn to the road, Kai on the front steps looking after him.  
  
She sighed as she opened the door and entered the house.  
  
"Oh, here she is," Tea was saying into the phone. She covered the mouthpiece and held the receiver out to Kai. "It's Elaine," she said.  
  
Kai had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she took the phone. "Hello?" she said reluctantly.  
  
"Kai, what did you do to Carlos?" Elaine asked. She sounded as if she was trying to keep her voice even.  
  
"Elaine... I didn't..." Kai tried, but her friend cut her off.  
  
"He looked like he had been crying, Kai! He was out with you all day! What did you /do/?" Elaine cried.  
  
"I didn't do anything!" Kai exclaimed. "He's the one who kissed /me/!"  
  
Everyone sitting in the room stared at Kai. There was even a silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.  
  
"He... what?" Elaine choked out. "No way..."  
  
"He did, all right? But I... I don't like him like that! He's my best friend, not my boyfriend!" Kai said, on the verge of tears again.  
  
"I... I had no idea..." Elaine said softly. "I'm sorry, Kai, I shouldn't have yelled..."  
  
"It's... it's all right. Yugi's on his way over to your place now. He said he was going to talk to Carlos," Kai explained.  
  
Yeah... yeah, okay," Elaine said, slight concern in her voice. "I'm sorry... really I am..."  
  
"It's fine. I have to go, all right?" Kai said, rubbing her forehead.  
  
"Okay, bye," her friend said.  
  
"Bye," Kai muttered, hanging up the phone. She'd have a bit of explaining to do with the gang and she wasn't looking forward to it.  
  
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Yami arrived at the Trevino's a little while later. He breath deeply before knocking. Elaine opened the door a few seconds later.  
  
"Hi. Kai said you'd be here," she said softly, letting him in. She looked sort of down; not her usual perky self at all.  
  
"I take it you know," Yami said and she nodded.  
  
"I had no idea he had a /crush/ on Kai. I just thought..." she stopped and sighed. "Carlos is in his room," she said, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the hall.  
  
Yami nodded and started to Carlos' room, when Elaine touched his shoulder.  
  
"Please, do your best to keep their friendship in tact. They've been best friends too long to split up now," she said when he turned.  
  
He nodded, suddenly feeling rather pressured. He reminded himself that he /had/ offered to do this and he would keep to his promise. He would do his best to save their friendship, even though he wasn't sure yet how he'd do it. He hoped Carlos might be a little reasonable. He knocked on Carlos' door, prepared for whatever the Italian would throw at him.  
  
"Elaine, just leave me alone!" Carlos said through the door.  
  
"I'm not Elaine," Yami said.  
  
Carlos didn't reply, but flung open his door. He glared at Yami and snarled, "What are /you/ doing here?"  
  
"I have to talk to you about Kai. She told me what happened," Yami said, looking up slightly at Carlos.  
  
Carlos' eyes blazed. - Now she's confiding in /him/? - "That's none of your business," he snarled.  
  
"You had her in tears, Carlos. You've had feelings for her for a long time; anyone can see that..." Yami started.  
  
"Why does it matter to you?" Carlos cried.  
  
"Because if you don't do something this will be the end of your friendship!" Yami replied.  
  
"Why do you care?" Carlos yelled. "That's our business, not yours!"  
  
"Carlos, you have some crazy idea that there's something between me and Kai and I don't know where you got it from, but it's not true! You're going to lose the best friend you've had for years because of your foolish jealousy! Yami cried.  
  
"Get out of my house," Carlos growled.  
  
"You have to talk to her! She's willing to forget if..."  
  
"Get out!" Carlos interrupted.  
  
"If you don't do it for you, do it for Kai! You were the one that was there for her in her time of need! She doesn't want to go out with you because you're her best friend! She thinks of you as her brother! She needs your friendship!" Yami exclaimed.  
  
"How would you know?" Carlos cried.  
  
"She told me!"  
  
- She barely knows him and she's confiding everything in him! - "Just go," Carlos said, his voice a low hiss. "I will take care of Kai's and my relationship on my own terms."  
  
"I hope, for your sake, that your terms don't take too long," Yami said before turning back down the hall. As he passed Elaine, he said, "See to it that he calls her soon."  
  
Elaine nodded and watched as he left, starting back down the street.  
  
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When he got back to Kai's house, the sun was beginning to set, casting a soft red glow over the sky. He opened the door and headed into the living room to meet the gang.  
  
Kai immediately stood up as she heard the door shut. When Yami came into view, she breathed slightly in relief that he was still in one piece. "What happened?" she asked as he came over.  
  
"I did the best I could. I strongly suggested he call you and I asked Elaine to make sure he does," he replied. "I hope everything turns out all right."  
  
Kai nodded and sank back onto the couch, Yami beside her. "Me too," she said.  
  
Yami put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, letting silent tears fall.  
  
The prospect of losing Carlos' friendship after so many years tore her apart. She couldn't see how they could still be friends if he had feeling for her. Every time she got a boyfriend, he'd be jealous. Why did this happen to her? Didn't she have enough going on already? Why did Carlos' friendship have to be added to it?  
  
Now she understood why he had been acting so weird. He was jealous of Yami. If she wound up going out with him, how would Carlos take it? he was already jealous of him. Why was her life suddenly so complicated?  
  
She pulled away from Yami and dried her face. She found herself looking into his deep violet eyes and had to smile slightly. His eyes had such a comforting sense about them, especially when added with his warm smile.  
  
Before it could be considered staring, she looked away from him. "Maybe I should call him," she said, reaching for the phone.  
  
Yami grabbed her shoulder and she stopped, turning back to him. "No," he said. "Let him call you. Let him get over his embarrassment."  
  
Kai nodded, leaning back against the couch. Why were things suddenly so complicated?  
  
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a/n: I have nothing to say except REVIEW!! And if some of you don't like Carlos, I know why. He does get kind of jealous, but I personally feel sorry for him. Anyways... 


	23. Getting Worse

Kai sat on her bed with her knees pulled against her chest. She was trying her best to stay optimistic, but it was hard. She couldn't stop thinking of Carlos.  
  
"He'll probably call in three days. He does everything in threes practically. He says it's his lucky number... because that's how old he was when he met me," she said, smiling slightly.  
  
Tea sat next to her, listening to her friend. She supposed talking about Carlos was making Kai feel better, but she couldn't really see how. Tea just listened and nodded every once in a while, feeling bad for her friend.  
  
"He was born here in Island Springs, but did you know his parents moved here from Italy? Rome to be specific. He can speak Italian. It drives me nuts when he does because I can't understand a word of what he's saying. You'd think by now he'd have taught me Italian, but he seems to enjoy being able to do something I can't," Kai said, giving a small laugh.  
  
"Kai, maybe... you should think about something else. I mean... I think it would do you good to forget about it for a little while. Until he calls you, there's nothing you can do anyway," Tea said carefully.  
  
"Yeah... yeah, you're right. Sorry," Kai replied, letting her legs down over the side of the bed. "It's just that I can't stop thinking about it because everything I do I did before with him and that reminds me of what he did and..." she tried, but the words got stuck in her throat.  
  
Tea put her arm around Kai, who had tears brimming her eyes again. Suddenly and searing pain shot through Kai's head and she cried out, pushing Tea away. Kai stood up quickly, pressing her hands to her temples and stumbling across the room into the wall.  
  
"Kai!" Tea exclaimed, getting up as well and taking a few steps towards her.  
  
"N-no! Stay... stay back!" Kai said, holding her hand up to signal her friend to stop.  
  
Tea's eyes grew wide as the room began to rumble. "Yugi!" she cried, but he had already burst open the door.  
  
"What's going on?" Joey cried, holding onto the doorframe for support as the room shook.  
  
Yami took a few steps forward, but stopped as Kai cried out in pain. "Kai... try to control it... try to force it to stop. Whatever this is, is making /you/ do this, so /you/ can stop it. Try," he said, cautiously taking another step forward.  
  
'I... can't! It's... it's taken over! Yugi... make it stop!" she cried.  
  
"I can't! You have to!" Yami said, continuing towards her.  
  
"Kai... Yugi's right... you can stop it!" Tea said, running up next to Yami.  
  
Kai screamed and suddenly Yami and Tea found themselves flying backwards across the room. The wind was knocked out of him as Yami hit the wall and slid down. He gasped for breath as the room continued to shake. He waited for the pain in his back to subside and looked over at Tea. She lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, unconscious.  
  
"Tea! Are you all right?" Bakura cried, dropping to her side and shaking her slightly.  
  
"Yug, are you..." Joey started, but Yami stood up, his hand on his stomach, trying to catch his breath.  
  
"I'm fine, Joey," he said, taking a few steps towards Kai again.  
  
"Yugi, what are you doing?" Tristan asked.  
  
Yami didn't reply, but continued forwards slowly, a determined look in his eyes as he stared at Kai. Her eyes were shut tight and her hands were pressed against her head, her hair covering her shoulders and neck.  
  
She felt like her head was about to explode. Something was making her do this... it wouldn't let her stop... what was going on? Kai screamed just as she felt someone take hold of her shoulders. Shaking violently, her eyes snapped open to find herself staring into deep violet ones. Suddenly, everything stopped... the room... the pain... Kai was left shaking and gasping for breath as she collapsed into Yami's arms.  
  
"It's all right," he said, his voice a deep whisper.  
  
"What's happening to me?" she asked, her heart pounding.  
  
"I don't know," he replied, tightening his hold on her to try to ease her shaking.  
  
"I'm scared..." she whispered, her face buried in his shoulder.  
  
"We'll find out what's going on," he said, gently running his hand through her hair.  
  
"What if it can't be reversed? What if I'll be doing this for the rest of my life?" she cried, pulling away and staring at him with fearful eyes.  
  
"You will get control of it and I will help you," he said, holding her shoulders.  
  
"I don't want to control it! I want it gone!" she screamed, trying to push past him. But, he pulled her back into his arms and held her there. She felt frightened tears pour down her face and into his shoulder as he hugged her. He held her for a few minutes, gently stroking her hair.  
  
"It's getting worse," she said finally. She had stopped crying, though she was still breathing rather hard. She lifted her head to look at him, his warm eyes looking into hers.  
  
He wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks lightly with his fingers. "Things will be all right," he said softly.  
  
She nodded, resting her head back on his shoulder. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and tried to calm down. "Every time it happens it gets worse," she whispered.  
  
Yami didn't know what to tell her, so he just held her while the gang watched with wide eyes, still shocked at what she had done.  
  
##################################################################################  
  
That night, Kai went to sleep early, leaving Tea sitting with the boys in the living room. After about a half hour, she decided she had to say what was on her mind.  
  
"Joey, Tristan, Yugi, could I see you a minute?" she asked.  
  
Yami nodded and stood, while Joey, Tristan and Bakura just looked at her.  
  
"What about Bakura?" Joey asked.  
  
"It's all right," Bakura said with a smile. "If she needs to talk to you, I'm fine here."  
  
"Well, okay," Joey said, following Tea into the boys' room.  
  
"What is it, Tea?" Yami asked after she closed the door.  
  
"Earlier, Kai told me something about Carlos I thought you might find interesting," she said, turning to Yami.  
  
"Yes?" he said.  
  
"Well, we know he's Italian, right?"  
  
"Yeah, so?" Joey asked.  
  
"Kai said that he was born in Island Springs, but his parents came from Italy. Rome to be specific," Tea said.  
  
Yami's eyes widened slightly in understanding, but Joey and Tristan remained clueless.  
  
"So?" Tristan asked.  
  
Tea sighed. "That means his family could probably be traced back to the Romans. Who were the Egyptian's biggest enemy?" she asked, indicating Yami.  
  
The three of them stared at Tea in shock. "So... you're saying that that's the reason they don't like each other?" Tristan asked.  
  
"I have nothing against Carlos. It's he who has a problem with me," Yami corrected.  
  
"Well, that's not the only reason Carlos doesn't like Yami," Tea said and Joey snickered, making Yami look at him.  
  
"That's not my fault," he said, silencing his friend.  
  
"Of course not. But I thought you should know about his history. It seemed sort of weird," Tea said.  
  
Yami nodded. "Yes. Besides the fact that he dislikes me because of Kai, there may be a subconscious racial hatred as well."  
  
"But he doesn't know that you're Egyptian," Joey said.  
  
Yami looked at him. "That's why I said a /subconscious/ racial hatred."  
  
"I know there's more to all of this than we're seeing, but I don't know what we're missing," Tea said.  
  
Yami nodded. "There is definitely more we're missing."  
  
"Like the reason Kai is suddenly able to do weird things with her mind," Tristan said.  
  
"What if Bakura was right?" Joey said after a moment.  
  
"About what?" Tea asked.  
  
"What if she did start all of this because of us? She was normal before we showed up," Joey replied.  
  
"You may be correct, Joey, we just don't know enough to understand why," Yami said, thinking about it. Now that things were getting worse, Bakura's solution was starting to sound more and more reasonable.  
  
"How could it be because of us?" Tea asked.  
  
"I don't know. But I'm beginning to think that's the case," Yami replied, sitting down on the bed.  
  
"Maybe we should call in Bakura? He might have more ideas," Tristan said.  
  
Tea nodded and opened the door. "Bakura?"  
  
A few minutes later he was standing in the room with them. "Yes?" he asked.  
  
"Do you remember when you said that the reason Kai is able to do these things is because of us?" Yami asked.  
  
Bakura's face suddenly got serious and he nodded.  
  
"I'm beginning to agree with you. Do you have any idea why this might be?" Yami asked.  
  
"No... I just had that feeling. She had been normal before we got here, so I thought it was our arrival," Bakura replied.  
  
"Things are getting way too weird for me," Tea said.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
a/n: I had no idea about the Roman/Egyptian thing until /after/ I had decided that Carlos was Italian. Actually, I didn't know until last chapter! I swear, I only come up with the storyline, my hands to the actual writing. I only know what's going on when they decide to tell me! lol 


	24. Uneasy Sleep

{ "I'm a part of you, Kai...." }  
  
Kai lay asleep on the floor, writhing in pain.  
  
{ "I will forever be with you..." }  
  
"No..." Kai whimpered, her eyes shut tight.  
  
{ "You're a part of me..." }  
  
"Leave me alone... what do you want...?" she muttered, tossing her head back and forth.  
  
{ "You will see in due time, Kai..." }  
  
"Please... go..." Kai murmured  
  
Tea woke up to her friend's muttering and looked over. Kai was tossing violently and her face was screwed up in pain.  
  
"Kai? Kai, are you okay?" Tea asked, jumping out of bed and dropping to her friend's side. She gently shook Kai, but she pushed Tea away in her sleep.  
  
{ "You have a destiny, Kai..." }  
  
"No..." she whimpered, writhing on the floor.  
  
"Kai, please... wake up!" Tea pleaded, shaking her vigorously.  
  
{ "You must fulfill it..." }  
  
"No!" Kai cried. She cried out in pain as her head seared.  
  
"Kai!" Tea exclaimed, growing panicky. She jumped to her feet and ran into the boys' room, bursting the door open. She dropped down beside Yami and shook him awake. "It's Kai! I can't wake her up!"  
  
Yami sat bolt upright and stared at Tea in the darkness. He quickly got up and they ran into Kai's room where she was still moaning in her sleep.  
  
He dropped to her side and grabbed her shoulders, holding her in one place. "Kai, wake up," he said as she flung her head to the side.  
  
{ "Listen to me..." }  
  
"No!" she screamed, making Yami and Tea jump slightly.  
  
"Kai! What is it? Wake up!" Yami exclaimed, putting a hand on her face.  
  
{ "You must allow it to happen..." }  
  
"Go away..." Kai moaned, trying to thrash around.  
  
"Please, wake up!" Yami exclaimed, rubbing her cheek desperately.  
  
{ "Stop fighting it..." }  
  
"Leave me..." she cried, panting for breath as she thrashed.  
  
"Kai! Listen to me! Fight it! Wake up! You can beat it," he urged.  
  
{ "It will only happen slower..." }  
  
"Make it stop!" she screamed.  
  
"Only you can! Concentrate on my voice! Drive everything else out of your mind! You can do this, Kai!" Yami cried, while Tea stood behind him, shaking in fear.  
  
{ "Kai... this is a mistake..." }  
  
Kai's body went rigid as her subconscious tried to concentrate on Yami.  
  
"That's right... I'm right here," Yami said, caressing her cheek, lightly.  
  
{ "No..." }  
  
Kai's eyes snapped open and she stared, terrified, at Yami. "What's happening to me?" she whispered.  
  
"I don't know," he replied, pulling her into his arms. He could feel her trembling as she clung to his shirt and he also felt slightly nervous. What /was/ happening to her?  
  
"Make it stop..." she sobbed, tears collecting in her eyes.  
  
"I can't, Kai," he whispered, tightening his hold on her.  
  
Tea sank down to the floor with her friends and gently touched Kai's shoulder. "I don't know what we can do..." she said.  
  
"There isn't anything..." Kai said, pulling away from Yami and looking at them. "It's going to continue and there's nothing anyone can do about it. You should go. Leave... I don't know what I'm capable of."  
  
"No," Yami said firmly. "We're not leaving."  
  
"I could hurt you, Yugi..." she protested.  
  
"Kai," he said, grabbing her shoulders. "We're not leaving."  
  
With a sob, she flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He gently ran his hand through her hair and felt her shudder as tears fell from her eyes.  
  
"I'm so scared, Yugi," she whispered.  
  
"I know," he replied, his own heart beating rather hard in nervousness.  
  
"Why is this happening to me?"  
  
"There must be a reason. We just need to find it," Yami said softly.  
  
"How?" she whispered.  
  
"I wish I knew."  
  
"You should get some sleep," Tea said gently.  
  
"No," Kai moaned, tightening her hold on Yami slightly.  
  
"It's all right. I'll stay with you," he said, running his hand through her hair.  
  
He gently pulled her to her feet, his arm around her shoulder reassuringly. He nodded at Tea to let her know her friend would be all right and guided Kai out of her bedroom. He led her into the living room and they sat down on the couch. Kai immediately curled up against him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He placed an arm around her and ran his other hand down her cheek. When he realized her face was wet from her tears, he gently wiped them away.  
  
He rubbed her shoulder lightly until her shuddering breaths relaxed and she fell asleep. He sighed, both confused and nervous for her.  
  
##################################################################################  
  
Yami woke up to light shining through the window in his eyes. Squinting against it, he realized Kai was still asleep on his shoulder. He gently moved her off of him and laid her down on the couch, pushing her crimson hair out of her face. She was far more peaceful now and Yami found himself just looking at her for a moment, mesmerized by her. When he heard Tea open her door, he quickly snapped himself out of it.  
  
"Is she all right?" Tea asked softly, coming to stand beside him.  
  
"At the moment. It could change at any time," Yami replied, looking at the sleeping girl.  
  
"I wish there was something we could do," Tea said.  
  
"So do I," he replied.  
  
Kai lay on the couch, her hair flowing around her face and over her shoulders. Her stone necklace was still around her neck and was visible through her tresses. Yami sighed, knowing she could become dangerous again at any time. What was happening to her? And why? If it had to do with his and the gang's arrival, would he be able to reverse it? How would he do it? There were so many questions unanswered and Carlos wasn't helping matters any.  
  
Yami was shaken from his thoughts when Joey opened the door to his room. "What are you doing, Yug?" he asked, coming over, followed by Bakura and Tristan. His face grew serious when he saw Kai. "What's going on?"  
  
"It happened again last night," Tea said. "Only, we couldn't wake her up. She kept talking in her sleep, but she wouldn't wake up."  
  
"What was she saying?" Bakura asked.  
  
"She was screaming for something to stop and leave her alone," Tea replied.  
  
"How'd you wake her up?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Ask Yugi, he's the one who managed it," Tea said, looking at Yami, who looked at the gang.  
  
He thought about it for a minute, trying to remember how he had done it. After a moment, it was like someone had flipped a switch in his mind and he understood. "I told her to focus on only my voice. Even though she was asleep, she was able to break it through that. She must have been able to block whatever was in her mind out by concentrating on something else. A distraction," he said.  
  
"That's a bit of stretch," Tristan said, looking at Yami.  
  
"No, it's not. Something is working through her and somehow she has to block it out. She couldn't do it by concentrating on /it/; that was just making it stronger. She had to focus on something else to break it. That's how we stop it. If we can distract her enough from it, maybe it'll go away. Maybe it won't be able to survive through her any more and it'll leave," Yami said. As he explained it, it began to make more sense to him as well.  
  
"How do we keep her distracted from it all the time?" Tea asked.  
  
"We're going to have to do it when it happens. We have to force it out of her mind," Yami said, looking at her.  
  
"Who's we? You, Yug. You're the only one who can get her to calm down. She won't let any of us get near her," Joey said.  
  
Yami looked at him, knowing he was probably right. "All right. I'll do it," he said.  
  
_________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
a/n: Okay... the next chapter some of it's gonna' be in Italian. ^_^ Don't worry... I give you translations. lol But, to get there, you have to review here! ^_^ 


	25. Italian Argument

Elaine was sitting on the couch, flipping restlessly through the TV channels. Carlos was in his room, where he had been for the past two days. On her way past his room the night before, she had thought she heard a few painful sobs from inside. She knew her brother was suffering far worse than Kai, but she felt he deserved it. He had been so stupid to do that when he knew she was interested in Yami. He should have known she'd turn him down, to put it nicely.  
  
She exhaled, frustrated, and got off the couch, heading towards her brother's room. "Carlos!" she said loudly, banging on his door with her fist. "Open the door."  
  
"Elaine, leave me alone!" Carlos yelled.  
  
"Carlos!" Elaine cried, turning the doorknob. She was surprised when his door flung open; he must have forgotten to lock it.  
  
Carlos stood up from his bed and glared at his sister, fire in his eyes. "Get out right now!" he cried.  
  
"You need to..." she started.  
  
He interrupted by letting out a string of Italian curses. This only tried Elaine's patience and she did the same back to him.  
  
"Che cosa è errato con voi? Lascilo solo! {What's wrong with you? Leave me alone!}" Carlos exclaimed, glaring daggers at Elaine.  
  
"Dovete denominare Kai. Sto andando assicurarsi che lo fate. {You have to call Kai. I'm going to make sure you do it.}" Elaine replied, folding her arms and glaring back at her brother. When they yelled at each other it was common for them to slip into Italian.  
  
"Esca della mia stanza! {Get out of my room!}" Carlos cried, infuriated.  
  
Elaine glared back at him. "/No/! {/No/!}" she snarled. "Dovete denominarli, Carlos! {You have to call her, Carlos!}"  
  
"Non sto andando ora denominarlo. {I'm not going to call her now.}" he said.  
  
"Capite che più lungamente attendete, meno probabili sarete in grado alle cose fatte tutto il di destra con lei? {You will! Do you understand that the longer you wait, the less likely you'll be able to make things all right with her?}" Elaine cried, spreading her hands.  
  
"Naturalmente capisco quello! Pensate che sia un idiot? {Of course I understand that! Do you think I'm an idiot?}" Carlos exclaimed, trying to ignore the ache in his heart.  
  
"Siete se pensate il serv attendente qualunque scopo tranne il distrugg della vostra amicizia! {You are if you think waiting will serve any purpose other than destroying your friendship!}" she cried. - What's wrong with him? Why won't he call her? -  
  
"Non penso che voi moron! Che cosa sono io hanno supposto per dire? {I don't think that, you moron! What am I supposed to say?}" he yelled, glaring at her. - Why won't she just leave me alone? -  
  
"Dovete spiegare la situazione a lei! Chieda scusa! {You have to explain the situation to her! Apologize!}" she replied.  
  
"Come sono supposto di spiegare la situazione? Penso che lo conosca perfettamente bene, con tutto altrimenti sappiamo! {How am I supposed to explain the situation? I think she knows it perfectly well, along with everyone else we know!}" His heart felt like someone was suffocating it. How could he go on without Kai as his best friend? But he knew she would never want to hang out with him after what he had done.  
  
"Dovete dirle che sia stato un errore... o... o qualcosa! È il vostro amico migliore! Dovete fare qualcosa fare questa destra! {You have to tell her it was a mistake... or... or something! She's your best friend! You have to do something to make this right!}"  
  
"Non lo ha bisogno di; ha Yugi. {She doesn't need me; she's got Yugi.}" he said, turning away from his sister.  
  
She ran over and whipped him around sharply to face her. She glared up at him as if daring him to try to brush her away again. "Nessuno hanno potuto sostituirli! Ha un interesse in Yugi, ma siete il suo amico migliore! Eravate là quando li ha avuti bisogno! {No one could replace you! She has an interest in Yugi, but you're her best friend! You were there when she needed you!}"  
  
"Yugi che fa la parte del suo amico migliore appena fine! Di che cosa è esigenza me? {Yugi's playing the part of her best friend just fine. What's she need me for?}" he snapped.  
  
"Dovete denominarli, Carlos! Destra del Yugi, state andando rovinare la vostra amicizia con Kai se continuate con questa gelosia stupid! Se Kai esce con Yugi, ci è niente che possiate fare a questo proposito! Tutto che possiate fare deve essere il suo amico migliore! {You have to call her, Carlos! Yugi's right, you're going to ruin your friendship with Kai if you continue with this stupid jealousy! If Kai goes out with Yugi, there's nothing you can do about it! All you can do is be her best friend!}" Elaine yelled.  
  
"Non so potrei essere il suo amico ancora, anche se potessi calcolare verso l'esterno che cosa dire a lei. {I don't know how I could be her friend again, even if I could figure out what to say to her.}" Carlos said, doing his best to glare at her, though his eyes were starting to blur.  
  
"Per favore, giusto denominila. Sta danneggiando perché non desidera perdere la vostra amicizia. Potete odiarli, ma destra del Yugi. Se continuate con questa gelosia, state andando perdere Kai per la merce. {Please, just call her. You may hate him, but Yugi's right. If you keep up with this jealousy, you're going to lose Kai for good.}" Elaine begged, shaking his shoulder slightly.  
  
His throat tightened and his vision blurred at the prospect of losing his best friend. He put his hand over his face and looked away from his sister, trying to hide the tears that were starting to fall.  
  
"Carlos..." Elaine tried, touching his shoulder more gently. She felt her own eyes start to water at the sight of her brother in such pain.  
  
Carlos flung her away from him, sending her stumbling backwards a few steps. "Lascilo solo! Esca della mia stanza! {Leave me alone! Get out of my room!}" Unable to keep the tears in his eyes any longer, he sank down onto his bed and hung his head.  
  
Upon seeing the wet streaks on her brother's face, Elaine immediately felt her own eyes overflow. She ran over to the bed and wrapped her arms around him. He put his arms around her and she felt him shudder with every sob. She could practically feel his broken heart and she knew her own cheeks were wet too.  
  
"Now you've got me started you idiot," she said as they held each other tightly.  
  
They sat there for a little while, crying into each other's shoulders. When they pulled away, they both dried their eyes. Elaine had almost never seen her brother cry and every time he had, so had she. He was usually so pulled together when something or someone hurt him, but he must have cared for Kai more than Elaine thought.  
  
Carlos stood up and made sure his eyes were dry before leaving his room. Elaine quickly followed him, fairly certain where he was going. He was leaning on the kitchen table, his head hanging between his arms.  
  
"Che cosa dirò? {What will I say?}" he muttered.  
  
"That's up to you, Carlos. I can't tell you what to say. But, you may want to stop speaking in Italian. She..." Elaine started softly.  
  
"I know she doesn't speak Italian, Elaine," he snapped. He stood up straight and walked over to the wall phone. He hesitated before lifting the receiver and putting it to his ear. His hand hovered over the buttons on the phone a moment. He clenched it and closed his eyes before dialing Kai's number. He paused before hitting the last button, but forced himself to.  
  
He leaned against the wall and saw Elaine still watching him. "Una poca segretezza? {A little privacy?}" he said and she nodded quickly, disappearing down the hall. His stomach dropped out when he heard Kai pick up.  
  
"Hello?" she asked.  
  
His throat tightened a moment, but he forced himself to speak. "It's me," he said, closing his eyes and listening to her pause.  
  
"Hi," she said softly.  
  
There was another uncomfortable pause before Carlos broke it. "We... we need to talk..." he managed to get out.  
  
"Yeah, we do," she replied.  
  
"Meet me in the park in about an hour?" he said, his own tone rather quiet as well.  
  
"Okay," she said. "Bye."  
  
He slowly hung up the phone and sank down the wall to the floor. "Maledizione... {Ahem... an Italian curse...}" he muttered, putting his face in his hands. It wasn't often he was scared, but now he was petrified. What would he do if he lost Kai's friendship?  
  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
  
"It was Carlos!" Kai cried, running into the boys' room where the gang was. "I'm going to meet him in the park in an hour."  
  
Yami breathed in relief that her friend had gotten up the courage to call her. Maybe their friendship could remain in tact after all.  
  
"Well, that's good. Maybe you can work this out," Tea said.  
  
"I hope so. He sounded really upset on the phone," Kai said, sitting down on the bed next to Tea.  
  
- Of course he did, - Yami thought bitterly. He couldn't help but feel less than friendly towards the Italian.  
  
"I'd better get ready then," Kai said, getting up and heading towards the door. She stopped when she heard Yami say her name.  
  
"Good luck," he said when she turned to him.  
  
She smiled graciously and left the room, entering hers.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~  
  
Kai leaned against a tree in the park, waiting for Carlos. She sighed and looked at her watch. She looked back up from it to see Carlos coming down the road, his hands in his pockets. Her heart pounded in nervousness as he spotted her. He didn't look at her as he made his way towards her.  
  
"Hi," she said when he approached.  
  
"Hi," he replied, looking at her briefly. "I... guess I have some explaining to do."  
  
Kai said nothing, but looked at the ground, playing with the stone around her neck with her fingers.  
  
"Um... it's not really what it seems like..." Carlos started. "I guess I just got... jealous..." He stared at the ground to hide his scarlet face, his hands in his pockets. "But it wasn't because I like you or anything," he blurted out, looking up at her.  
  
Kai stared at him. "Um... that looked kind of..."  
  
"No... I was mad because you were spending more time with Yugi and stuff... and not enough with me. I thought if... I don't know... it was stupid, but I guess I thought if I did that, you'd hang out with me..." he said, looking back at the ground.  
  
"Why on Earth would you think that?" Kai asked incredulously.  
  
"I don't know! It was a desperate move!" Carlos exclaimed.  
  
"No kidding!" Kai cried. They just stood there a second, staring at each other. Then Kai started to laugh.  
  
"What are you laughing at?" Carlos asked, confused and embarrassed.  
  
"You! I can't believe you! You think kissing me is going to make me hang out with you more? That's ridiculous! You had me thinking you /liked/ me or something!" Kai said, leaning against the tree again.  
  
Carlos looked at her, wide eyed for a moment, then decided maybe it would be best if he laughed with her. "What are you kidding? No way! I barely like you as a friend!" he laughed, relieved their friendship was still in tact.  
  
Kai threw her arms around his shoulders and he wrapped his around her waist. "I missed you, Carlos," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I missed you too," He muttered, glad to have her back in his arms, even if it was just as friends.  
  
"Don't ever do that again," she said. "Or I swear I'll never speak to you again!"  
  
"And that would be a bad thing?" he said, smirking.  
  
She pushed him away and smirked back. "You came back to apologize, didn't you?"  
  
"Eh, all right, you got me there," Carlos said with a grin. "But, you know, I've been thinking..."  
  
"Oh, heaven help us," Kai said, rolling her eyes. "That's never good."  
  
He grinned. "Once I get a hint of something, I've got to get the rest, you know that."  
  
Kai snorted. "What are you getting at?"  
  
"Come on... give me a kiss," he said, grinning and grabbing her arm.  
  
Kai smacked him in the head with her free hand and yanked away from him. "You've already kissed me you idiot! What do you need to do it again for?"  
  
"You didn't kiss me. It was a one way deal," he said, smirking.  
  
"Forget it, Carlos," Kai said, leaning back against the tree and folding her arms.  
  
It was the truth, now he was curious as to how she kissed. As much as he despised saying it, he knew there was one way to get her to go along with it. "Consider it practice for Yugi," he said with as good a smirk as he could manage.  
  
Kai looked at him, and he could see the wheels turning in her mind, debating whether or not to go through with it. He knew he had her when she sighed. She rolled her eyes and pushed off the tree, taking a step towards him.  
  
"How on Earth do you get me into these things?" she asked. Carlos just grinned. "On one condition though," she said.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"You have to be honest at how I do."  
  
Carlos snorted. - Well that shouldn't be too hard. - "Yeah, okay," he said.  
  
Kai sighed, unable to believe she was doing this. She reached up and grabbed his collar, pulling him down to her level. - Just imagine it's Yugi, - she told herself, closing her eyes. Not a second later she felt Carlos' lips press against hers and she returned the kiss.  
  
After the initial second, it got easier. He was actually a pretty good kisser, but then, he'd had loads of practice so it was no wonder.  
  
Carlos resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her and merely held her shoulders. He was fairly certain she wouldn't see through to his feelings from the kiss; she hadn't had enough experience with it. When they pulled away, he could still feel the touch of her lips lingering on his. He had never gotten such a rush out of a kiss before and it killed him to know it would never happen again. He realized Kai was staring at him and he put on his sly grin again.  
  
"Well? How was I?" she asked, folding her arms.  
  
"Eh, I've kissed better," he said with a shrug.  
  
"Carlos!" she exclaimed, attempting to hit him in the head. He dodged and his arm got the blow instead. "You said you'd tell me how I was!"  
  
"All right! All right! It was pretty good! For someone who's never been kissed before," he smirked.  
  
"Well, I wanted to save it for someone I really care about. Guess that didn't work," she said, folding her arms.  
  
"Aww, don't you care about me?" he asked, putting on a hurt face.  
  
She snorted. "Not like that you fool."  
  
"Call me a fool!" he cried, grinning as he grabbed her, spinning her around into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and attacked her stomach.  
  
"Carlos!" she cried, laughing as she fought to get away. "Let go!"  
  
"Say please..." he smirked, not letting her drop to the ground.  
  
"Carlos!" she shrieked, fighting for breath.  
  
"Say it!" he laughed.  
  
"It!" she cracked, fighting against him.  
  
At this Carlos laughed, causing his tickle torture to pause. Kai took this moment to break away from him and fall against the tree, gasping for breath as she continued to laugh. They stood there, unable to breathe from laughter for a few minutes. Just like old times.  
  
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a/n: Okay, so they made up. I'm happy, but I still feel kind of sorry for Carlos. He's a nice guy, even though he gets jealous. ^_^ Anyways, review and I'll continue. By the way, were you able to read the Italian/translations okay? 


	26. Learning About Yami

a/n: Okay, another note. ^^Anything like this is a vision.^^  
  
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Kai lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling. She touched her lips, remembering her kiss with Carlos. In truth, she had felt a little something, but she couldn't tell if it was just the kiss, or if it was Carlos himself. What would she do if it /was/ Carlos?  
  
- Carlos, what are you doing to me? - It was Yami she liked, right? Or was that wrong? Did she like both of them? How would she decide which one to go with? - Oh... I'll think about this in the morning, - she thought, rolling over on her side.  
  
.  
  
{ "Kai, you are dwelling too much on this."  
  
"Too much on what? Who are you?" Kai was standing in a dark place, unable to see as far as the nose on her face.  
  
"Only one is right."  
  
"What is /that/ supposed to mean? Show yourself to me!" Kai was slightly nervous. Where was the voice coming from? It was female, that much was for sure, but she didn't recognize it.  
  
"You are what you are and you are what you are becoming."  
  
"Becoming? What are you doing to me?" Kai cried. "Leave me alone!"  
  
"One day you will rule. Now you must choose the correct destiny to get there."  
  
"What are you talking about? Just go away!"  
  
"You have a choice now since you have become confused. You must go the right way. The future depends on you."  
  
"What? You're insane!" Kai exclaimed, shaking her head nervously.  
  
"Your destiny lies in Egypt, not Italy."  
  
"/What/? Would you stop speaking in riddles? Let's pretend I /don't/ know what you're talking about!"  
  
"You must choose Yami. The future depends on it. Eliminate the competition, Kai-Tara. Right now, while it is still young."  
  
"What competition? Who's Yami? What are you /talking/ about? Just leave me alone! Let me go back to normal! Please!" Kai exclaimed.  
  
"That is not possible. The future needs you. You must not fight this or me. Do as I say and things will go much smoother."  
  
"How can I do what you say if I don't know what you're talking about? What are you even referring to?"  
  
"A kiss with the competition."  
  
"What? Carlos? What does he have to do with anything?" Kai asked, confused and scared.  
  
"You will see the silent hatred. You know who to choose. Your destiny lies in Egypt, not Italy."  
  
"Who said anything about destiny? What are you talking about? What do I have to choose with? Do you mean Carlos and Yugi? Keep out of my personal life!"  
  
"Yami. Remember the name, Kai. When it sounds in your ears you will know."  
  
"Who is Yami?" Kai exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"You will know. Do not fight your changes. Let it happen and you will know."  
  
"Maybe I don't /want/ to know! Ever think of that? Maybe I don't want to /change/. I don't even know what I'm changing /into/!" Kai cried.  
  
"You have to know. You have to change. You will see."  
  
"No! I don't want to see! Go away!"  
  
"I can't. I can't stop your changes, even if I wanted to. I suggest you don't try."  
  
"What? You're lying! You started this, you can make it stop!"  
  
"I can't. You will see."  
  
"Stop saying that! Just leave me alone!" Kai shrieked.  
  
"Do as I say and you will see."  
  
Suddenly Kai was falling... }  
  
.  
  
Her eyes snapped open. She still lay on her back on the floor, though this time the ceiling was lit up by light shining through the window. Her dream was still vivid in her mind.  
  
"Yami..." she muttered. - Who on Earth is Yami? - "Maybe the gang will know. Though I doubt it. Oh, they're going to think I'm insane."  
  
She got up and looked over at the bed to see Tea was gone. Kai figured she must already be up then and left her room. Sure enough, the gang was sitting in the living room, talking.  
  
"Hey guys," Kai said, taking a seat next to Yami.  
  
"Hey, Kai," Tea said.  
  
"Um... I'm just curious, do you guys know a Yami?" Kai asked, looking around the room.  
  
Everyone looked up at her with wide eyes.  
  
- How does she know your name? - Yugi asked.  
  
- I don't know how she knows. My guess is whatever is giving her these powers is also feeding her information, - Yami said.  
  
Kai still waited for an answer, looking at Yami. "What?" she asked. "Do you know him?"  
  
"I don't know a Yami," Bakura said, genuinely confused. "Where'd you hear the name?"  
  
"Um... this is going to sound really strange, but some voice told me in a dream. She was telling me that the future depends on me. If that's not the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is," Kai said.  
  
- The future depends on her? What's that mean? - Yugi asked.  
  
- I don't know, but I'm inclined to believe it. If she got my name from this voice, it must be telling the truth. - "Kai, what else did the voice tell you?" Yami asked.  
  
"Um... it was saying something about Carlos, that my destiny isn't in Italy, but I never said it was. He wasn't even born in Italy! I'm getting very confused with all of this. Does it mean anything to you?" Kai asked.  
  
"Well, the part about Carlos seems to mean that the voice doesn't want you to go out with him," Tea said.  
  
"I wasn't going to anyway. He's my best friend," Kai said, confused.  
  
"Were you thinking about it? At any time?" Tea asked.  
  
"Um... well... I suppose... last night I was... thinking about him, but I wasn't exactly considering going out with him or anything," Kai said, feeling her face grow warm.  
  
"Well, maybe the voice got nervous and had to make sure you weren't going to ruin whatever destiny she wanted you to have," Tea said.  
  
"But what is the stupid destiny? She told me to remember the name Yami. What on Earth does he have to do with anything? I don't even know a Yami!" Kai exclaimed.  
  
"Maybe you're gonna' meet him," Joey said.  
  
Yami was feeling slightly uncomfortable with this. "Was there anything else she said?"  
  
"Yeah, she said she couldn't stop what was happening to me, even if she wanted to. She said I was 'changing' but she wouldn't say into what," Kai replied.  
  
"She can't stop it? That's not good," Tristan said.  
  
"She could be lying," Bakura said.  
  
"I don't think she is," Yami said, surprising the gang.  
  
"Why? What makes you believe her?" Kai asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling she's being truthful," Yami replied, looking at her.  
  
"Gut feelings are almost always right," Tea said.  
  
Yami nodded. "Which is why I think we should pay attention to this dream and any others you may have. This voice seems to give you a little more of the puzzle each time."  
  
"So, I'll just be a freak of nature until we figure it out, right? Sounds like fun," Kai said dryly.  
  
"We will figure it out," Yami assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
She smiled gratefully at him before a searing pain shot through her head. She cried out and pressed her hands against her temples. She tried to stand, but stumbled. Yami quickly put his arms around her to steady her, but she tore away, running to the front door.  
  
"Kai!" Tea cried, standing. The gang ran after her, Yami in the lead.  
  
Kai had collapsed in the yard and was writhing on the ground. Yami ran to her side and dropped to his knees. "Kai! Listen to me! You can fight it! Concentrate on my voice!" he cried, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Kai immediately screamed as something shot through her mind. ^^An upside down pyramid with the Eye of Horus... The Eye started to writhe and move until it was a cobra, ready to strike... There was a deafening hiss and a blinding light...^^  
  
Yami shook Kai's shoulder and a lock of her hair fell away from her chest, revealing her stone necklace. Suddenly a searing white light shot out from the stone and Yami and the gang stumbled backwards.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Joey cried.  
  
Kai was still screaming as her vision continued. ^^A boy pharaoh... A familiar voice... "Yami..." The speaker was a woman... Egyptian hieroglyphics lined the walls...^^  
  
~ - Yami, what's happening? - ~ Yugi cried.  
  
Squinting his eyes against the light, Yami moved over to Kai. - It's the stone! - he thought. Yami's fingers wrapped around her necklace and he yanked on it, breaking the chain. Immediately, the light faded and disappeared. Yami looked at it and his eyes widened. The necklace was no longer a stone, but a tiny upside down pyramid with a cobra on it. As he stared at it, it shifted form to once again be a polished stone.  
  
"What is it?" Tea asked, scared and surprised.  
  
"I don't know, but this is the reason Kai is how she is," Yami said. He tossed it to Tristan. "Get rid of it."  
  
"Wait..." Tristan protested, but Kai's eyes snapped open.  
  
"Are you all right...?" Yami asked, touching her shoulders, but she scrambled away, her face full of fear.  
  
"It's you... You're not Yugi... you're... you're Yami!" she cried, staring at him with huge eyes.  
  
"Kai..." Yami tried, attempting to move closer to her.  
  
She quickly got to her feet and backed up. "No, stay away from me! There's two of you! I know... I heard in your head! You've taken Yugi over!"  
  
"What's she talking about?" Bakura asked, confused.  
  
"No, you don't understand..." Yami said, taking another step towards her.  
  
"No! Stay away! Leave me alone! It's you! That voice was warning me against you! Keep away!" She turned and ran to the house, leaving the gang staring after her in shock and confusion.  
  
"Kai!" Yami called, but to no avail. He turned to Tristan and held out his hand. "Let me see the necklace."  
  
Tristan handed it to him and Yami closed his hand around it. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it to activate it. After a minute of it doing nothing, Yami put it in his pocket.  
  
"I have to explain myself to her. This was why I hadn't told her to begin with," Yami said. He was slightly surprised to find he felt rather upset by the way she had been afraid of him. However, he pushed it out of his mind as Tea spoke.  
  
"Maybe you talking to her isn't such a good idea. I don't think she'll listen to you. Maybe I should do it," she said.  
  
"What's going on?" Bakura asked, confused and stunned.  
  
"I'll explain it while Tea does to Kai," Yami said, nodding for Tea to go. He sighed, hoping Kai would understand and be able to think rationally.  
  
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a/n: All right, based on what my best friend has said, Bakura doesn't know about Yami or his spirit of the Millennium Ring. She's watched the dub since it came out, so I'm inclined to believe her. However, if this is wrong, don't blame me, I came into the show at the beginning of Enter The Shadow Realm. Yell at my friend, not me. Kay? Well, you know the drill... 


	27. An Attempt To Explain

- What's happening to me? - Kai ran into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. - I can't believe this! - "What are you doing to me?" she shrieked, frightened tears starting to stream down her face. Suddenly there was a deafening ringing in her ears and she clapped her hands over them. She cried out as she fell to her knees. "Stop! Leave me alone!"  
  
~ "You must get the stone!" ~  
  
"What are you talking about? Stop! What have I ever done to you?" she screamed.  
  
~ "It is key! You cannot interrupt the process!" ~  
  
"No! I will interrupt the process! Leave me alone!"  
  
~ You don't understand! You foolish girl, don't mess around with this!" ~  
  
"Kai? Kai, are you all right?" Tea burst through the door, her eyes wide with horror. "Kai!"  
  
The ringing in Kai's ears was growing louder, clouding her thinking. "What do you want from me?" she cried, starting to shake.  
  
~ "Without the stone, you will die! You cannot interrupt the process! This will not reverse it! Do you understand? You will /die/!" ~  
  
"No! You can stop it! You can't do this to me! There must be a law against this /somewhere/!" Kai screamed. Her vision was obscured by a searing white light and she felt as though her head was about to explode. She screamed one last time before she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.  
  
Tea dropped to her friend's side, fear flooding through her. "Kai! Wake up! /Kai/!" She screamed when she rolled Kai onto her back and her friend didn't move.  
  
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"Wow... that's a lot to take in!" Yami had just explained himself to Bakura, who was standing there, dumbstruck.  
  
"Yes. But this isn't of importance at the moment. Our focus must be on Kai. I am inclined to believe that she is in danger," Yami said, pulling the stone out of his pocket.  
  
"When you pulled it off her neck, that thing looked like your Millennium Puzzle," Joey said.  
  
"Yes, with one difference. There was a cobra instead of the Eye of Horus," Yami said, studying the necklace.  
  
"Does that mean something?" Bakura asked.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe," Yami said.  
  
"So if this is the thing that's doing it to her, is keeping her away from it going to solve the problem?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Wait... how do we know we're not hurting her by keeping it from her? Remember that voice she said she heard? It said it couldn't stop this," Bakura said.  
  
"What are you saying, Bakura?" Yami asked, looking at him.  
  
"All I'm saying is that..." But Bakura never finished his sentence. At that moment they heard Tea scream. The gang stared at each other for a second before taking off towards the house.  
  
"Tea!" Yami called when they burst through the front door. Figuring where she must be, they headed towards Kai's room. "What's happened?" Yami asked when he saw Kai. He dropped to her side and shook her shoulder gently.  
  
"I don't know! She was screaming about something and then she just passed out! This is starting to /really/ freak me out!" Tea said.  
  
"Kai, listen to me. Wake up, concentrate on my voice," Yami said, touching her face. "Come on, you can fight this."  
  
Tristan knelt down beside Kai and put his fingers to her wrist. "Her pulse is weakening," he said, looking at Yami.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Joey asked.  
  
Suddenly there was a light shining out of Yami's pocket. When he pulled out the necklace, the light faded to show that it once again resembled Yami's Millennium Puzzle. His eyes widened when the tiny cobra's eyes glowed ruby red.  
  
"What's it doing?" Tea asked.  
  
There was a searing white light and the necklace vanished from Yami's hand. When the gang looked, it was around Kai's neck once more. The cobra's eyes faded and it shifted form to become the stone.  
  
"What is it?" Bakura asked.  
  
Yami didn't answer as Kai's eyes snapped open. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
At the sight of Yami, she scrambled away. "Keep away from me!"  
  
"Kai, it's your necklace that's doing this to you! It's not what you think it is!" Yami said.  
  
"You're crazy!" she cried, standing and backing up against the wall.  
  
"Where did you say you got your necklace?" Bakura asked.  
  
"That doesn't matter!" she cried, locking her fingers around the stone. She tore from the room and out the front door.  
  
"Kai!" Yami cried, standing and looking after her. "You have to explain this to her Tea. Tell her who I am. You said it yourself, I'm the one who has to help her. She has to trust me."  
  
Tea nodded and followed Kai.  
  
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- How could it be my necklace? Gran wouldn't give me anything to hurt me! Yugi... no... he's not Yugi! Whoever he is... he's lying! He's doing this to me! Bakura was right! All this started when they got here! It's him! It's Yami! -  
  
Kai leaned against the oak tree in the front yard, her heartbeat through the roof. She watched Tea come through the front door and start over to her.  
  
- Is she on his side? What if she's in league with him? - Kai thought.  
  
"Kai, I have to explain Yami. The way you found out about him wasn't exactly the best way ever, but you have to know that he's not the problem," Tea said.  
  
"What are you talking about? Who is he?" Kai asked.  
  
Tea sighed. "This is going to take a while. You're going to want to interrupt me, but just hear me out, okay?" Kai nodded and she continued. "Yami is the spirit of an Egyptian pharaoh."  
  
"You're insane! How could you possibly think that I'd believe /that/? I don't even believe in /ghosts/!" Kai exclaimed.  
  
"I know it's really weird! But it's true! When he was pharaoh there were these things called Shadow Games, involving the Shadow Realm. That's a really creepy place where if you lose a Shadow Game, your mind gets trapped there for eternity."  
  
"/What/? What kind of moron do you take me for?" Kai asked, staring at Tea.  
  
"Please, just listen to me!" Tea pleaded. "The Shadow powers would have been really bad if they fell into the wrong hands, so five thousand years ago, Yami sealed the power into the seven Millennium Items. He also sealed his spirit in the Millennium Puzzle. That's what Yugi wears around his neck. Bakura has the Millennium Ring, but his spirit is evil. Yami's not evil! He wants to help you, just like the rest of us."  
  
"So what about Yugi? Where does he come in? Is he just a fake name or something?" Kai asked.  
  
"No, Yugi exists. The two of them share Yugi's body. They take turns controlling it," Tea explained.  
  
"Do you know how weird this sounds?" Kai asked.  
  
"Yeah, I do. But you know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction," Tea said.  
  
"Let me see if I have this straight. Yugi has the Millennium Puzzle, which contains the spirit of Yami, who's an Egyptian pharaoh. When Yami was pharaoh he sealed the Shadow powers, whatever the hell those are, into the Millennium Items so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands," Kai said.  
  
"That's it," Tea said, nodding.  
  
"Well what's he doing back here now? Why'd he put himself in the Millennium Puzzle if he fixed whatever five thousand years ago?"  
  
"Because history's going to repeat itself. Yami and Yugi have to work together to stop the powers from falling into the wrong hands again."  
  
"Have I /ever/ met Yugi?"  
  
"Yeah, the first day we met you. Then Yami took over. He's the one you've been talking to and stuff," Tea said.  
  
"This is insane," Kai said, shaking her head.  
  
"Yami's not lying when he says that stone is what's causing you to have these weird powers. It changes shape to look like the Millennium Puzzle, only there's a cobra on it instead of the Eye of Horus. Then it changes back. I don't think you can take it off because... when we tried it, you didn't do so well. Whatever it is, wants to finish what it's doing."  
  
"No, Gran would never give me something to hurt me!" Kai exclaimed, wrapping her hand around her necklace.  
  
"Maybe she didn't realize what it was when she gave it to you."  
  
"Why don't you just leave me alone, Tea. I can't deal with all of this," Kai said, putting her face in her hand, still trying to absorb all of this new information.  
  
"Yami can help you through it. He wants to," Tea said. "You should talk to him."  
  
"And say what? For crying out loud what do I even /call/ him?"  
  
"Yami will work. But you have to let him help you."  
  
"No way. I'm not going near him. And I thought /I/ was a freak of nature! He's two people!" Kai cried.  
  
"Kai, just talk to him. Please?" Tea asked.  
  
"What on /Earth/ do I have to say to him?"  
  
"Well you could start with telling him you're not afraid of him anymore," Tea replied.  
  
Kai sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Great. I seriously am going out of my mind. Now I'm going to go talk to a pharaoh, who may I mention just happens to be /dead/!"  
  
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a/n: All right, Kai talks to Yami next chapter. It's rather close to the end, but there are still a bunch more chapters, at least five I think. ^_^ 


	28. Talk With Yami

NeferNeferi: Just out of curiosity, why don't you email me with your guess? I'd love to see what you think it is. ^_^  
  
^^ ~ This is a vision of a memory ~ ^^ Have I sufficiently confused you yet with all of these different symbols? ^_^  
  
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Kai watched as Tea walked back to the house. So many emotions flooded through her... confusion... terror... worry... nervousness... Her heart beat furiously in her ears as she waited for Yami to come out. Tea had said she'd go get him and bring him outside so they could talk privately.  
  
Kai's fingers wrapped around the stone necklace as the front door opened again. As Yami walked towards her, numerous other feelings shot through her. If she had only met Yugi the first day, did that mean she had fallen for a /ghost/? Someone who was /dead/?  
  
She straightened and forced herself to look Yami dead in the eye as he approached. She ignored her pounding heart as she kept her expression unreadable. Yami finally stopped a few feet away from her.  
  
"Tea explained who I am?" he asked, staring back at her with the same blank expression.  
  
"She did," Kai replied.  
  
"Tea thought it would be best if she explained it. She didn't think you would have listened to me."  
  
"Would you? Put yourself in my position, Yug... whoever you are," Kai said.  
  
"Yami. I understand that this is hard to believe -"  
  
"Why would it be hard to believe? I mean you're only the ghost of a pharaoh, sharing a body with a teenager! There's /two/ of you! And you obviously look the same, otherwise I would have recognized the difference!" Kai cried.  
  
"Yes, we do look similar. But Yugi and I are two different people," Yami said.  
  
"If you are what you say you are, why did you "switch" anyway when you met me? Why didn't you just let me continue to talk to Yugi?" Kai asked, her expression growing somewhat dark.  
  
"It was Yugi's idea to switch, Kai," Yami said.  
  
"And you just... didn't think it might be nice if you /told/ me you're a friggin' /ghost/?" Kai exclaimed.  
  
"Not many people know. I was afraid of the reaction I'm getting right now."  
  
"So you just decided lying to me would be best?" Kai asked, folding her arms. Her once placid expression had changed into a definite glare.  
  
"I didn't lie to you. I just didn't tell you -" Yami tried.  
  
"/It's the same thing/! I trusted you! I told you stuff I've never even told /Carlos/! And all this time you've been lying to me... deceiving me!" she cried.  
  
Yami stared at her, somewhat shocked. He had expected her to be a bit disturbed, but he hadn't counted on the fact she'd start yelling at him. "Kai, I wasn't deceiving you -"  
  
"Oh? What would you call it? What do they call this in /Egypt/? What are you even /doing/ here? Don't you go on to the afterlife or whatever? You don't /belong/ here!" Kai cried, her emerald eyes blazing dangerously.  
  
"Kai! You don't know what you're saying! You don't understand!" Yami said, taking a step towards her, his arm outstretched to touch her shoulder.  
  
"No! Stay away from me! I understand just fine! You're a ghost! You live in that /thing/," she said, indicating the Millennium Puzzle. "You can't live without someone to be a host for you!"  
  
"Kai! Yugi is my friend! We /share/ this body!" Yami said. The more she went on like this, the more he felt as if someone were tearing at his heart. If only she could understand...  
  
"How can I possibly believe you?" she shrieked. "After all this time of lying to me, what makes you think I'll believe you?"  
  
"I wasn't lying to you! I was afraid of how you would take it! I didn't want you to think this way!"  
  
"How on /Earth/ can I possibly believe you? Why don't you just leave? Give Yugi back his body! He has the rest of his life to live; you've already lived yours! /Let it go/! Go away!" Kai cried.  
  
"Kai... this isn't what's going on. You're confused. Let me explain..." Yami said. He felt so torn...  
  
"No! I have all the explanation I need! You tricked me! I confided in you! But I never would have done that if I had known what you are!"  
  
- /What/ I am? - "Kai..." Yami said softly, but she pushed off the tree and ran past him. He turned and leaned against the oak tree.  
  
"That went well."  
  
Yami turned to see a transparent Yugi standing next him. "Don't worry, Yami. She just found out the wrong way. She's scared. Anyone in their right mind could see that she doesn't hate you."  
  
Yami stared at his counterpart. "I never said she did hate me."  
  
"Yami, one thing that happens when we share this body is we can pretty much feel what the other is feeling. I just think you should know that she's probably hurting just as much as you. All this time she thought you were me! And now she finds out the truth... well, it's a lot to handle," Yugi said.  
  
"What are you suggesting?" Yami asked.  
  
Yugi sighed. "Nothing, Yami." - I just pretty much /told/ you! - "Just that it may take a few more times talking to you before she completely understands."  
  
Yami nodded. "I know. I don't understand why she would say those things though."  
  
"She's under a lot of stress. Those weird powers, then Carlos, and now you. This past week hasn't exactly been easy."  
  
"I know. What do you think of her necklace?" Yami asked.  
  
"It sure looks a lot like the Puzzle, but I don't think it's a Millennium Item. I don't know of any that can change shape. And I've never known one to do to someone what that necklace is doing to Kai. I think it's something different," Yugi replied.  
  
"If it's not a Millennium Item, then what is it?" Yami asked.  
  
"Maybe the snake on it has something to do with it."  
  
"It was a cobra. I've thought about it, but I haven't come up with anything."  
  
"Do you think it represents something?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Like what? Do you have an idea?"  
  
"Not a clue. It seems that every time we take a step closer to finding the truth, we wind up going two steps back. There is still the 'why' that we need to answer. Why bother doing this?"  
  
"Yes. These answers are still eluding me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
- Yami is who I've been telling everything to! Everything about Carlos... he's been my confidant, yet all this time he's been lying to me! So why do I feel so bad about yelling at him? - Kai had run around the side of her house and was sitting on the ground with her knees against her chest. - These things can't be happening to me. I don't make things happen with my mind... I don't read people's minds... Yami doesn't exist... This is all a dream...  
  
- That voice said something about Yami... what was it? I had to choose him... for what? What am I supposed to /do/? Why does she want me to do this? -  
  
Suddenly a searing pain shot through her head. - Fight it, Kai. Put it out of your mind... you can fight it... - She buried her face in her knees as the pain grew unbearable. "Leave me alone!" she cried, staggering to her feet.  
  
She was growing dizzy... the pain was so horrible... she felt as though her head were about to explode... Kai leaned against the house, pressing her hands against her temples.  
  
"No..." she moaned, her heart pounding. "What's happening to me?" As the pain seared again, she screamed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yami and Yugi snapped their heads up. "Kai!" they cried in unison. Yugi faded as his counterpart followed the scream. As he neared the front door, Yami saw the gang run out. They came around the house and Yami ran to Kai, grabbing her shoulders.  
  
"Kai, you can fight this," he said.  
  
She opened her eyes and immediately tried to get him off of her. "No... leave me alone!"  
  
"Kai! Stop! You've beaten it before! Just concentrate on my voice and that only!" Yami said, tightening his hold on her.  
  
"Get off me! Let go! I'll tell Carlos; he'll kill you!" Kai cried. Her struggling didn't do much good because she was pinned against the side of the house.  
  
"Kai, stop this! Do you want this to end?" Yami asked, his stern violet eyes penetrating her emerald ones. "You have to listen to me!"  
  
Kai stared at him, her heart pounding in her ears as pain seared through her head. "W-what...?" she asked, wincing.  
  
"Concentrate on my voice only. Put everything else out of your mind," Yami instructed. "Focus on me. It has worked before; it will work again."  
  
Kai squeezed her eyes shut, her teeth clenched. "I... can't..."  
  
"Yes, you can! Listen to me! It will work!"  
  
"I know it's worked before! But something's different now..." Kai cried. She leaned her head against the house as she cried out.  
  
Yami noticed her necklace had changed once again. The eyes of the snake were glowing a ruby red, as if it were daring Yami to continue trying to block it. He looked back at Kai, determined to put up a fight.  
  
- You aren't going to win her that easily, - he thought. "Kai, focus on me. Only my voice. You can fight it."  
  
"It's not working! I... can't...!" She screamed as her necklace started to glow.  
  
- Yami hurry up! We don't know what'll happen if that thing finishes what it wants to do! - Yugi cried.  
  
"Kai! Listen to me!" Yami exclaimed, growing desperate.  
  
"Come on, man! Do something!" Tristan cried.  
  
"She needs a bigger distraction!" Tea exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.  
  
Yami stared at Kai for a second. - A bigger distraction... - His heart beating in his ears, he did the first thing that came to mind. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. He moved his arms around her, holding her tightly against him.  
  
"Well, that'll work," Tea said, a bit surprised.  
  
As he kissed her, Kai felt the pain in her mind start to ease. Suddenly something flashed before her eyes...  
  
.  
  
^^ ~ Kai stood in the living room. Her grandmother sat in a chair in front of her. The scene was only last year.  
  
"Come here, Kai," her grandmother said. She held something in her hand and her arm was outstretched.  
  
Kai approached slowly. She held her hand out and her grandmother dropped a necklace into it. It's pendant was a polished stone. "Thanks, Gran." Kai looked at her guardian, knowing she didn't have much longer. She had already begun to go senile.  
  
"You have to wear it for a year. It will activate when you meet the second face of the two faced man," her grandmother said, her voice somewhat small.  
  
Kai just smiled sadly. "Right, Gran." She remembered how her grandmother used to have such a strong voice and mind. It was painful to see her so out of it and lost. "Yeah. I'll wear it." ~ ^^  
  
.  
  
Kai's mind cleared as she became aware of what was going on in the real world. Panic flooding through her at Yami's kiss, she struggled against him. He let go of her and pulled away. They stared at each other for a moment before Kai took off to enter the house.  
  
Yami looked after her, once again feeling torn. He knew he had enjoyed that kiss way too much. But he also knew it was probably best if she didn't feel anything for him. She was right. He was a spirit. He couldn't have a relationship with her through Yugi. Yugi did have his own life as well. It wouldn't work.  
  
"Yami, you okay?" Joey asked, seeing the strange way his friend was staring off into space.  
  
Yami came back into reality and looked at the blonde. "Yes. I'm fine." He put his hands in his pockets and slowly headed for the house.  
  
The truth had finally made it's way into his mind. It was no wonder Carlos was so jealous. It seemed everyone but him could see what was happening. Yami had blocked it out. He had known it would only be bad news if his conscience knew.  
  
Yami found himself in his bedroom with the door closed. He didn't even remember entering the house, but he supposed it didn't matter. He sat down on the bed and leaned his elbows on his knees.  
  
"Yami? Are you okay?" Yugi sat next to him.  
  
"Yes. I'm fine," Yami said, looking at the smaller version of himself.  
  
"Kai will come around. As soon as this thing's over she'll realize that she likes you," Yugi assured.  
  
"It's far more complicated than that, Yugi. She's correct. I am a spirit. I can't exist without someone who allows me to share a body with them. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to leave the Puzzle," Yami said.  
  
"I don't understand the problem," Yugi said.  
  
"It's impossible for me to have a relationship with her. Or anyone for that matter. It wouldn't be fair to you. I would be using your body."  
  
Yugi's eyes widened slightly. "Yami, I don't care. Technically then if you've kissed someone, I can say I've been kissed."  
  
Yami chuckled slightly. "But I don't /want/ to be using your body. It's the same as how I felt when she was calling me by your name instead of my own. So it's just best if I stay out of it. She and Carlos get along well."  
  
"Yami, you know you would be just as jealous as Carlos if she went out with him," Yugi said.  
  
"Hopefully we will have left by that time. I don't think you intended to remain here, am I correct?" Yami asked.  
  
"Well, no. But Kai could come with us."  
  
"No. She belongs here in Island Springs. She is better off if she doesn't feel anything for me. She can live a better life that way."  
  
"Yami, you know this isn't what you want."  
  
"Of course it's not what I want. It's what I have to do. There are things you have to do, no matter how much you don't want to, Yugi. This is one of them."  
  
Before Yugi could respond, the door opened and Kai stepped through. She was looking at the ground as she came inside. She opened her mouth to speak as she raised her head, but instead of words, a scream came out.  
  
"There's... what... you?" she cried, her eyes flitting between Yugi and Yami.  
  
"What is it?" Yami asked, standing.  
  
"I... think she means me!" Yugi said as Kai stared at him. "You can see me?"  
  
"Am I not supposed to?" she asked incredulously.  
  
Yami and Yugi looked at each other in surprise. "No, not really," Yugi said.  
  
As Kai stared at them, she saw the minor differences between them. It was amazing how those little things could make all the difference when they stood beside each other, but when you saw them separately they went unnoticed.  
  
Kai took a step towards Yugi and nervously waved her hand through him. Her eyes widened as her hand passed through him as though he wasn't even there. "This is way too weird..." she said, backing up into the wall.  
  
"Here, I'll go then," Yugi said, fading away. Kai's eyes got huge as she stared at the spot where he once stood.  
  
"Did you need something?" Yami asked, directing her attention to himself.  
  
"Uh... yeah... hold on let me remember it..." she said, staring at him. "Oh... yeah... I kind of... freaked out earlier," she said, looking at the floor. "You know, when I was yelling at you. It's just way too much happening at once and..."  
  
"Kai. It's all right," Yami said.  
  
She looked up at him and their eyes met. "Yeah... one thing... which one are you?" she asked.  
  
Yami chuckled. "Yami." He was taken aback when she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He moved his own arms around her and held her tightly. He closed his eyes, enjoying the moment, though he knew he shouldn't be.  
  
"I didn't mean what I said," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Ghost or not you were there when I needed you."  
  
A part of him was relieved and happy she didn't hate him. The other part knew it was only complicating things. "I still am here, Kai," he said, tightening his arms around her.  
  
"What's happening to me? Why can't I stop it?" she asked.  
  
"I think the reason you can't stop it is because you /are/ changing. You're mind is most likely being shifted from whatever that necklace is doing. If you stop the process, it probably would kill you," Yami said. "I don't think we stop it when you block it out of your mind. I think it only eases the pain."  
  
"So no matter what I do I'm going to be a freak?" she asked. "That's great."  
  
"I will stay with you until it's over. I promise. I'll do whatever I can," Yami said, feeling his heart tear with the knowledge he couldn't be with her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
a/n: Okay, we're getting closer to revealing the answer as we go. Anyone got ideas as to what's happening? And why? Email me or tell me in a review! ^_^ 


	29. Clues

a/n: Everyone seems to think Kai is someone from Yami's past or she has something to do with his past. Nope! *grins evilly* You have no idea what you're in for! Mwahahahaha! Ahem... On with the show so you can find out. Oh, if you have any other guesses, feel free to tell me! I love to see what you can come up with. And Silvia Viridian, you're correct; Kai's necklace isn't a Millennium Item. I'm kind of bored with all of the "adding a Millennium Item that no one knows of." This is something different. ^_^ This was my first plot line, my most confusing and my best I think. ^_^  
  
Samantha: No, Kai and Yami aren't in a relationship now. Yami kissed her out of... ahem... he'd like her to /believe/ he kissed her out of necessity. ^_^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I saw something. A vision... when you... uh..." Kai felt her face flush and was glad she was still in Yami's arms so he couldn't see.  
  
A pink tinge worked it's way into Yami's cheeks as well, though he ignored it. "What was it?" he asked.  
  
"It was when Gran gave me my necklace. I had forgotten what she said when she did... I probably dismissed it as her senility," she said, pulling away from him and looking at him.  
  
"What was it?" Yami asked. He realized his hands still rested on her shoulders and he quickly lowered them to his sides. He ignored the longing in his heart, instead keeping his blank expression on his face.  
  
"It was a lot like the riddles I've been getting in my dreams, come to think of it. She told me to wear it for a year. And that it will activate when I meet the second face of the two faced man. I think now I understand what it means," she said, looking at him.  
  
"Yes. Me," Yami replied. "It did start because we got here. Whatever this is, your grandmother gave it to you deliberately. She knew you would meet me. Didn't she leave a year ago?"  
  
Kai nodded. "I can't believe she'd hurt me like this. What did I do?"  
  
"Maybe you're carrying out a family business."  
  
"You mean, she could do this too? She never showed any sign of it," Kai said.  
  
"Maybe she did. Did you say she earned her living as a fortune teller?" Yami asked.  
  
Kai's eyes widened. "Yeah... she did... Are you saying she really /did/ see the future?"  
  
"You can, can't you? What's to say she couldn't? I think hers is the voice you've been hearing. Is there anything you haven't told me? More of where I come into all of this?" Yami asked.  
  
Kai shook her head. "Uh uh. I told you everything. What do you think she wants me to do? When will all of this stop?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't know how long it will take before your transformation is complete. I would like to know how your grandmother knew about me," Yami said.  
  
"Maybe the gang will know more?" Kai asked.  
  
"It's worth asking them."  
  
She nodded and left the room. Before Yami followed her, he reached into his back pocket, feeling a piece of paper. He pulled it out and unfolded it, staring down at the drawing he had taken from Kai's collection. He got lost in the way Kai was looking at him for a moment, before he tore his eyes away. He straighten the paper, trying to get out the creases. When he heard Kai talking to the gang, he left the room, entering Kai's. He looked at it one last time, remembering the way they had danced, before he slid it under her bed.  
  
He stood back up, looking down at the floor. He felt as though someone were ripping at his heart. Why did things always have to be so complicated?  
  
He took a deep breath and left the room, heading for the living room.  
  
"So I was right," Bakura was saying, his expression bleak.  
  
"Yes. But it wasn't because of you. Whatever this is has to do with me. Another 'why' we have yet to answer," Yami said, sitting down next to Tea.  
  
"Sure, Gran was a fortune teller, but I didn't think she could /actually/ see the future. And could she really do everything I can? If she could, it would have made her chores a hell of a lot easier to do," Kai said, earning a few chuckles.  
  
"A family business... that is an answer I suppose. But still... what does Yami have to do with anything? And how did she know about him?" Tristan asked.  
  
"Wait a minute..." Tea said, looking up at Kai.  
  
"What?" Kai asked.  
  
"That voice in your dream didn't want you to go out with Carlos... It said your destiny wasn't in Italy... did it say anything about Yami? Besides remembering his name?"  
  
"Uhhhh... she said my destiny lies in Egypt, not in Italy. Yeah, that was it." Realizing what she had said, her eyes widened. She snapped her head to Yami, who was looking at her, a stunned expression on his face as well. "Hold on... what, does she want me to date /you/?" As things clicked, her eyes grew wider still. "Carlos! His family's Roman! Egypt verses Rome! Oh my /God/!" she cried, standing.  
  
"Yes. According to our races, we are enemies," Yami said.  
  
Kai ran her hands through her hair, her mouth open in shock. "Okay... so... now what? What does that say? Does that help us in any way?" she asked.  
  
"Didn't the voice say the future needs you?" Joey asked.  
  
"Maybe you have to help Yami and Yugi," Tea suggested.  
  
"Wait... no way. You go save the world on your own; leave me out of it," Kai said, standing.  
  
"Maybe you don't have a choice," Tristan said.  
  
"Hey! My life! My choice! This is too much information. My brain's going into overload. I'll be back in a little while, I need to think about this stuff," Kai said, touching her forehead with her fingers. She turned and left through the front door.  
  
Kai pulled the door closed behind her and headed into the woods. She reached the clearing a few minutes later. Sighing, she climbed up onto the log and scooted out into the middle of it.  
  
- So Carlos and Yami are enemies because of their heritage. Is that supposed to come in somewhere? My destiny is in Egypt, not Italy... What do I have to /marry/ Yami or something? Is Gran haunting my dreams? What's /going/ on? And I can't very well marry Yami, he's a ghost. Oh God... I'm going insane.  
  
- Yami... I'm so confused... do I still like him? I can't... he's a ghost. He uses Yugi's body, that's the only way I can even see him. That's the only way he can even exist. I am going insane. I can't fall for him; he's dead really. I could always defy that voice and go out with Carlos. I don't suppose I'd mind that. He kisses well at least. -  
  
~ "You know what you want." ~  
  
Kai ignored the hiss that flew through her mind and glared out at the horizon. - Don't pay it any mind. It's trying to confuse you. -  
  
"Kai?"  
  
She turned, rather surprised. "Um... Yami, right?" she said, feeling her face flush slightly.  
  
Yami chuckled. "Yes." He climbed up on the log and slid over next to her. "What's on your mind?" he asked as she looked back over the water.  
  
"Everything," she said with a sigh.  
  
"Have you any ideas?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "Nah... But I'm beginning to wonder if Gran is the one who's been talking to me in my dreams."  
  
"Do you recognize the voice?" Yami asked.  
  
"Sometimes. Sometimes I don't. This is all way too confusing for me. My mind is too small to comprehend all of this."  
  
"We will understand it eventually. We have already taken a big step to deciphering the riddles."  
  
"Yeah..." Kai said, staring out at the horizon. The sun was glowing a crimson color, casting a red hue over the clouds and sky. "Oh... I told you this place was nice during a sunset. Well, now you can see it," she said, smiling at him. She immediately kicked herself for that. - Kai... - she warned herself.  
  
Yami smiled back at her, then turned towards the water. Things were so complicated now. Why couldn't she have continued to hate him? Things would have been much simpler. It seemed Destiny was having way too much fun with this. Why did he have to feel like this? Why did he have to have feelings for her? Feelings that could never be acted upon.  
  
"I'm scared, Yami," Kai said, looking down at her hands. "I'm scared of what's happening to me. I'm scared to know Gran did this to me. I don't want to know. I don't want any of this."  
  
Yami looked at her before pulling her against him in a tight hug. "I know, Kai."  
  
She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't understand. I don't understand any of this. I don't know if I want to," she whispered, closing her eyes.  
  
"I want to understand. I want to know how your grandmother knew about me. And why she's doing this to you," Yami said, gently running his hand through her hair.  
  
"You think it's really her then? You think it's her that's done this to me?" Kai asked, her heart crying at the suggestion.  
  
"Yes, I do," Yami replied. He started to release her, knowing it wasn't doing him any good.  
  
"No... please don't let go..." Kai whispered, tightening her arms around him slightly. "When you hold me I don't feel so alone..."  
  
Yami put his arms around her again, feeling his heart pound slightly. "You're not alone, Kai. You have your friends. You have me."  
  
Kai smiled softly. "I haven't really met Yugi. What's he like?"  
  
Yami felt his counterpart perk up slightly to hear what his friend had to say about him. Yami had to chuckle at that before he spoke. "Yugi is kind and he has a good heart. He cares very much about his friends and family and would go to great lengths to help them."  
  
"He sounds really nice," Kai said.  
  
"He is," Yami replied, feeling Yugi beam.  
  
"It must feel weird, having him in your mind and stuff," Kai said.  
  
"You get used to it after a while," Yami said with a chuckle.  
  
They stayed in each other's arms until the sun completely set, with only the moon to shed light. Yami tried to ignore his heart that was splitting in two as he held Kai. He wanted so badly to kiss her again, but knew if he did it would only cause more problems.  
  
After a few minutes, she lifted her head to look at him and their gaze met. In the pale moonlight she was so radiant... so beautiful. Her eyes shone like gems as the dim light hit them. Yami couldn't find the strength to break eye contact and he felt so torn. He was frozen between his desire and longing and his common sense. Slowly, he felt himself lean into her.  
  
He wanted his lips on hers so badly, but he couldn't... He managed to stop himself when their lips were no more than an inch apart. He let go of her, scared of what he might do to himself.  
  
Kai sat up, her own heart hurting. She knew what she felt, yet she also knew why he wasn't allowing himself to feel the same.  
  
"We should head back," Yami said, moving across the log to slide off.  
  
Kai nodded, following suit. When he held out his hand to help her down, she took it, smiling at him. He was so handsome in the moonlight, but he had hardened his eyes so she couldn't read his emotions.  
  
Yami was able to break eye contact this time and he started back through the woods, ignoring the ache in his chest. Kai followed, doing her best to ignore her own heart.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
a/n: Okay, er... I'm not sure what I'm gonna' do for the next chapter, but it'll be posted soon anyway. There will be something of importance soon, though, so stay tuned! ^_^ Oh, and feel free to continue to guess if you think of something else it might be. XD 


	30. Threat

a/n: I am SO sorry I haven't updated! But I have a good reason! My father had to go into the hospital and we've been going to doctors and stuff. His doc is a moron and gave him pills that we think gave him a bleeding ulcer. Fun fun. Anyways, I'm so sorry!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Kai and Yami entered the house, they headed into the living room. They were a bit surprised to see Carlos waiting for them.  
  
"Ciao bella mia. {Hello my beautiful.}" he said, grinning at her.  
  
"Carlos! What are you doing here?" Kai asked, confused.  
  
"I just figured I'd stop by. That all right with you?" he asked, standing and taking a few steps towards her. There was a grin on his face even as he looked at Yami, though his eyes looked as though they could make lava freeze.  
  
"Um... yeah, yeah it's fine! I was just surprised, that's all. How are you?" Kai asked, allowing him to drape an arm over her shoulders casually.  
  
"Pretty good. I see you're doing fine," he said, piercing Yami's eyes with his own. Yami stared back, attempting to keep the anger off his face. He knew Carlos was doing this deliberately to annoy him, but he couldn't keep the jealousy from building.  
  
Kai blushed at her friend's implication. "Carlos..." she warned, elbowing him in the ribs.  
  
He turned his gaze to her, the grin never wavering. "So, where were you anyway?" he asked.  
  
"That's none of your business!" Kai exclaimed with a laugh.  
  
"Sure it is," Carlos said, tightening his arm around her.  
  
"It is not," Kai said, trying to duck out from under his arm. She squeaked as he pulled her back and dipped her. "Carlos!" she cried, though she was laughing.  
  
Yami felt anger and jealousy build inside him. He suddenly had the urge to hit Carlos, even though he knew he never would. He merely sat down and folded his arms, his expression remaining placid.  
  
"Carlos, let me up!" Kai laughed, hitting his shoulder lightly.  
  
"Very well," her friend said, lifting her back to an upright position.  
  
"What are you here for anyway?" she asked him, moving out of his grip.  
  
"Can't I come see my best friend?" he asked, attempting to look hurt but failing.  
  
Kai rolled her eyes. "Of course, but was there any /other/ reason?"  
  
Carlos glanced at Yami before staring at the ceiling in thought. "Ah... no, no not really," he said, looking back at Kai.  
  
"Just to bug me then? What's Elaine doing?" Kai asked, folding her arms.  
  
"Elaine? I come over and you want to know about my sister? Now I'm insulted," Carlos said, crossing his arms across his chest and looking away from her.  
  
Kai rolled her eyes. "Oh what a shame. But really. Usually you do something together at this time."  
  
"Yeah well, she snuck out again. I don't know if it's the same boyfriend or a new one. She changes them as often as her underwear I swear," he said, earning a few laughs.  
  
"Yeah, Elaine is a bit... boy crazy," Kai laughed, glancing at Bakura, who was looking slightly confused.  
  
"Hold on, I have to go mark that down as 'understatement of the week,'" Carlos said, pretending to jot something down on his palm.  
  
Kai laughed. "So now what?"  
  
"I brought over a few CDs," Carlos said, pulling a few slim cases out of his pocket.  
  
"No way. I know what you listen to and if I hear another Linkin Park song I'll be sick," Kai said, folding her arms and stepping between Carlos and the stereo.  
  
"Well I'm not listening to your music. The singers sound like they're choking on frogs," Carlos said, folding his own arms.  
  
"At least they're not screaming at the top of their lungs!" Kai argued.  
  
"Linkin Park doesn't /scream/," Carlos replied indignantly. He started towards the stereo, but Kai blocked him.  
  
"No way, keep away from it!" she said, putting her hands on his shoulders to stop him.  
  
"You could always sing," he said, grinning.  
  
"What? I'm not /singing/!" Kai said, blushing.  
  
Carlos' grin widened, seeing an opportunity to embarrass her. "Aw, come on! You're really good!" He turned to the gang and put his arms in a V over his head. "Let's give a big hand for Kai-Tara Lee!" He stepped aside as Kai screamed his name.  
  
"Carlos Trevino!" she cried, blushing a vivid red. "I'm not singing. No way no how."  
  
"Come on!" Tristan said, grinning.  
  
"Yeah! Sing for us!" Joey agreed.  
  
"You don't even know that I'm any good, why do you want to take a chance on the fact that I'm awful?" Kai asked.  
  
"No worries folks, Kai's the best of the best!" Carlos said, grinning.  
  
"Carlos!" Kai groaned, blushing.  
  
"Come on, Kai! Sing for us!" Tristan cried.  
  
Kai groaned, placing her face in her hand. "Fine," she said finally.  
  
Carlos, Joey and Tristan cheered while Bakura and Tea laughed. Yami grinned, knowing Kai had a beautiful voice. He wanted to hear her sing again, but would never cheer her on with Carlos.  
  
- What should I sing? - Kai thought, trying to think of something. The first song that flew through her mind was "Crystal," the one her grandmother had sung to her. She quickly dismissed that one, remembering it was her grandmother who had cursed her. - I know... -  
  
She sighed, knowing her face was beet red. "Okay..." she said softly, looking at the floor.  
  
Yami couldn't help but grin. His eyes flicked to Carlos who was lounging in the chair a few feet away. He had his legs over one armrest while he leaned back against the other, his arms behind his head. His eyes were locked on his best friend, an absent grin on his face. Once again Yami felt jealousy surge through him. Carlos had a very good chance with her, while he had none at all. At the moment Kai might have an interest in him, but it couldn't last. They couldn't act on it. Carlos would win and it infuriated Yami.  
  
"Um... tell me when to start..." Kai muttered, her face practically radiating heat.  
  
"Start!" Carlos laughed.  
  
Kai grinned, embarrassed. "Right..." She sang the first few lines rather softly, feeling absolutely humiliated.  
  
~ It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart.  
  
~ Without saying a word, you can light up the dark.  
  
~ Try I may I could never explain,  
  
~ what I feel when you don't say a thing.  
  
After she started, it got easier and she allowed herself to let go and sing with her heart. She closed her eyes so as not to be distracted.  
  
~ The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.  
  
~ There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me.  
  
~ The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall.  
  
~ You say it best... when you say nothing at all.  
  
~~~  
  
~ All day long I can hear people talking out loud.  
  
~ But when you hold me near... you drown out the crowd.  
  
~ Old Mr. Webster could never define,  
  
~ what's being said between your heart and mine.  
  
~~~  
  
~ The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.  
  
~ There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me.  
  
~ The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall.  
  
~ You say it best... when you say nothing at all.  
  
Kai opened her eyes as she sang the last line and looked directly into Yami's eyes. She smiled as she finished the song, then looked down at the ground, leaving Yami with his pulse through the roof. She had sung that song for him...  
  
Carlos' eyes flicked between Kai and Yami, jealousy rushing through him. He glared at the Egyptian, poison in his eyes though Yami didn't see. - How could she possibly be interested in him? -  
  
Yami glanced over, meeting Carlos' glare with one of his own. He felt so childish with this silent argument, but couldn't keep himself from doing it.  
  
"Yeah! That was great!" Joey cried, clapping.  
  
"I don't see why you were so nervous!" Tea agreed, clapping as well.  
  
Kai blushed as applaud filled the room. She ran her hand through her hair and looked at the ground, embarrassed.  
  
"Um... do any of you want anything to drink?" she asked, glancing around the room.  
  
"Yeah, sure!" Tristan said.  
  
"You bet," Joey agreed.  
  
"Why not?" Carlos grinned.  
  
Kai nodded and hurried into the kitchen, anxious to get away from the gang. She ran the tap water and splashed some on her face, trying to drain the color from it. She shut off the water and dried her face with the dish towel. She knew she was still rather red, but she was starting to relax. She took a few deep breaths as she opened the refrigerator, grabbing the water jug. Kai set it on the counter and opened the cabinet above her head, taking down four glasses. After she had poured the water, she put the jug away. She rubbed her eyes before picking up the glasses and bringing them into the living room.  
  
She handed Joey and Tristan their water and set hers down on the coffee table. Kai glanced over at Carlos, who was still lounging in the chair, and grinned. He looked at her as she walked over.  
  
"Grazie. {Thank you.}" he said, holding out his hand for the glass.  
  
"Not a problem," Kai replied, holding the glass over his head.  
  
"Hey... wait..." Carlos said, attempting to move from his position, his eyes locked on the water above his head. He didn't move quick enough and Kai dumped the water on him. He cried out and shot out of the seat.  
  
"That's /cold/!" he cried, pushing his hair out of his face, his eyes wide.  
  
The rest of the gang was doubled over in laughter. Even Yami was chuckling, silently cheering Kai on.  
  
"Revenge for making me sing," Kai grinned.  
  
"Why you...!" Carlos cried, glaring at her. He took off his shirt and held it out in front of him. Kai cracked up as it hung straight down, water dripping from the bottom of it. Carlos scowled at her, then smirked. He shook his head like a dog, sending water flying everywhere. There were numerous cries of protest as he finished.  
  
"Carlos!" Kai exclaimed, wiping a few drops off her face. She hit him in the shoulder and he grinned.  
  
Yami dried his forehead with the back of his hand, his anger rising slightly. Carlos looked over Kai's shoulder and met Yami's glare with a smirk.  
  
"Now I have to go home to change and dry off," Carlos said, looking at his shirt.  
  
Kai choked on her laughter as she glanced at it as well. "Oh, what a shame," she said, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, I thought you'd be upset about that," Carlos said. "I'm going to go ring this out in the sink."  
  
"Have fun," Kai smirked and Carlos rolled his eyes as he headed into the kitchen. She dropped onto the couch next to Yami and grabbed her water off the table. He glanced at her as she took a sip, the leaned back against the couch.  
  
A few minutes later Carlos came back into the room wearing a now damp and wrinkled shirt. Kai snorted with laughter when she saw him, putting a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Yeah, very funny," Carlos said dryly. Yami caught his eye and smirked, earning a glare from the Italian in return. After a moment, Carlos came over to the couch and wrapped an arm around Yami's shoulder, pulling him to his feet.  
  
"Say Yugi, can I talk to you for a sec? You know, man to man," Carlos said, an innocent grin on his face, though his eyes were deadly. Kai stared between them, noting the glare they were exchanging. For a moment, she remembered part of her dream; ~ "You will see the silent hatred..." ~  
  
Yami's violet eyes held poison as well as he looked at his opponent. He nodded briefly and Carlos led him outside, his arm still draped lazily over his shoulders. Yami was ready for anything Carlos would throw at him, aware it wasn't going to be pleasant.  
  
The front door swung shut, leaving the moonlight to show them where the other was. Carlos immediately removed his arm from Yami and stepped in front of him, grabbing his shirt. There was fury blazing in his eyes as he glared at Yami.  
  
"Stay away from Kai, do you hear me?" he hissed.  
  
Yami tore Carlos' hand from his shirt and glared at him. "You don't tell me what to do," he said.  
  
"You're not good enough for her. You barely know her. You weren't here when she lost her grandmother. You weren't the one to get her through it. You don't know anything about her," Carlos snarled.  
  
"On the contrary, I know more about her than you do," Yami replied.  
  
"I doubt that very seriously. I've known her all of my life. You've known her for all of a few weeks. You know nothing about her or who she is."  
  
"It's not a matter of who's known who longer; it's who she trusts more. At the moment, I think that's me," Yami said. He knew he wasn't doing himself any favors by arguing like this with Carlos, but he wasn't about to let him get away with this.  
  
"And how do you know that?" Carlos growled.  
  
"If I told you what she has confided in me, I would be betraying her trust. Something I don't do," Yami replied, folding his arms.  
  
Rage flew through Carlos, causing his eyes to blaze. "If you try anything with Kai, I swear you'll be sorry. You'll be embarrassed to go out in public because of what I'll do to you."  
  
"That sounds like a threat, Carlos," Yami said calmly, though his eyes held the same poison as his opponent's.  
  
"Very good, Yugi. So you do have at least half a brain. If you have any other smarts, you'll heed my warning. Tell Kai I went home. You won't say anything about this to her, do you understand?" Carlos asked.  
  
"I understand perfectly," Yami replied.  
  
"Good." With that, Carlos turned and headed down the lawn without looking back.  
  
Yami glared at his back before entering the house again. When he came into the living room, he was asked what Carlos wanted.  
  
"It was nothing," he merely said.  
  
When they were heading for bed, Kai stopped Yami in the hall. "It was about me, wasn't it?" she asked.  
  
Yami said nothing, but turned into his room, closing the door. Kai sighed, understanding his silence. - He's just worried about me. He knows I've never had a serious boyfriend or anything... Please... please let that be it... - she pleaded with herself as she lay down to sleep. - Please... -  
  
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a/n: Er... okay, the next chapter will explain what's going on, so if you have any guesses, guess now! XD 


	31. Cleo

a/n: All right, I believe this is the chapter where things start to be explained. I'm going to tell you right now that there is a cliffhanger. Muahahahaha!!!! Ahem... right... well, read and get ready to be shocked out of your seat! Muahahahaha!!! I've been practicing my evil laughter, couldn't you tell?  
  
@~ This is in Kai's head. ~@  
  
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Kai awoke the next morning, a tingling sensation in her head. - Oh, great. A new discomfort. I wonder how long /this/ will last, - she thought bitterly as she sat up. She pushed her crimson hair out of her eyes and looked over at the bed. Tea was gone from it, the sheets neat in her place.  
  
Kai got up and changed quickly. She left the room and headed into the living room where the gang sat. She greeted them and plopped down on the couch next to Bakura.  
  
"Morning Kai," Tea said.  
  
"So what's happening today?" Kai asked, putting her feet up on the coffee table and putting her hands behind her head. Joey and Tristan just shrugged. "Oh, you're a lot of help," she said, earning grins.  
  
"Are you feeling all right?" Yami asked her.  
  
She lowered her arms to her sides and put her feet on the floor as she looked at him. "Yeah, I'm feeling okay. My head still feels weird, but I haven't blown anything up yet."  
  
"Let's hope you never blow anything up!" Tea said. A few members of the gang chuckled.  
  
Kai nodded, giving a small laugh. "Yeah."  
  
"So now what?" Bakura asked.  
  
"Anyone hungry?" Joey asked and everyone laughed.  
  
"Sure... are you volunteering to make breakfast?" Kai asked him, grinning.  
  
"Huh? Oh... no," Joey said, waving his hands back and forth.  
  
"I'll make it," Tea said, laughing as she stood.  
  
"Thanks, Tea. I'd probably kill you if I made it," Kai laughed.  
  
"No problem," the brunette said, entering the kitchen.  
  
The gang sat in silence for a moment and Kai just looked around at them. Joey was lounging in the armchair a few feet away, much like how Carlos had been the night before. Tristan sat on the floor, his knees bent in front of him as he leaned against the front of Joey's chair. His arms rested on his knees as he too just looked around the room. Bakura sat to her left, his hands in his lap as he waited for someone to start a conversation. Yami sat on the other side of Bakura, his legs crossed and his arms folded across his chest.  
  
Kai looked past Bakura a moment, her eyes resting on Yami. He was so pulled together, even in a crisis. She didn't know how he managed to keep a level head even in the worst of situations. She supposed some of this rubbed off on her, because when she was with him, she felt slightly stronger. Before anyone noticed she was watching him, she tore her eyes away and leaned back against the couch.  
  
Her mind turned to her transformation. Exactly what /was/ happening to her? Why was it happening? What /did/ Yami have to do with anything? What did she have to /do/? There were so many questions unanswered and she was beginning to think they might stay that way. She wouldn't be able to take it if she didn't know what was going on. She would go out of her mind if this kept up. She had to know what was going on, she just had to. Why would her grandmother hurt her like this?  
  
A little while later, Tea called them into the kitchen for breakfast. Her cooking was far better than Kai could ever hope to do and there were a few jokes made about it by Joey and Tristan. She attempted to glare at them, but she wound up laughing in the end.  
  
Within a half hour, they were outside lying in the grass, staring up at the clouds, finding shapes in them. They all cracked up when Joey announced he had found a hamburger.  
  
They had only been there for a little while when Kai's head started to buzz. She moved a hand to her temple as the sound grew louder. Soon the buzz was so loud it hurt. She sat up quickly, pressing her hands to her temples as she moaned softly in pain.  
  
Yami sat bolt upright and moved next to her. "Are you all right?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. The rest of the gang sat up as well and scooted through the grass around Kai and Yami.  
  
"I don't know..." Kai moaned, her eyes squeezed shut. "It feels different... like there's a bee in my mind or something... the buzzing won't stop and it hurts..."  
  
Quickly, Yami moved in front of her, taking hold of her shoulders. "You can block it out," he said, looking at her.  
  
She shook her head as she winced. "No... I can't... this is different... something more is happening to me... I can feel it..."  
  
"What? Do you know what?" Yami asked, tightening his hold on her slightly.  
  
"How would I know that?" she cried, throwing her head back. Her hair fell away from her chest and her necklace was glowing.  
  
Nervousness flooded through Yami as he stared at the stone. He watched it shift shape and in a matter of seconds the cobra was glaring at him with ruby eyes. He gritted his teeth as he glared back at it.  
  
- You won't win her! - he thought at it. "Kai, you can fight it!" he said.  
  
"No... let go of me..." she moaned, bringing her head forward.  
  
"Kai..." he started but she cut him off.  
  
"Let me go!" she screamed, pulling away from him. Yami stared at her as she stood. He quickly followed suit, but didn't attempt to touch her.  
  
"Kai, I can help you..." he tried.  
  
"Stay away from me, Yami! Something's wrong...!" she cried, stumbling backwards away from the gang. She didn't get to far, though, before a searing white light shot from the necklace. She cried out as the light engulfed her.  
  
Yami was the only one who didn't shield his eyes. "Kai!" he cried, watching as the light moved around her. Her arms were out slightly to the sides and her face was turned towards the sky. Yami was frozen for a few seconds in panic, but quickly snapped out of it. He ran towards her, but when he got to nearly two feet away from her, he found himself flying backwards.  
  
He felt like he was airborne for seconds before he finally skidded along the ground. He felt his back burn when he finally came to a stop. The gang rushed over to him as he sat up slowly, wincing in pain.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tea cried, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm fine," he replied, getting to his feet, his eyes on Kai.  
  
- What's happening to her? - Yugi asked, fear evident in his voice.  
  
- I don't know, but I get the distinct feeling it isn't good, - Yami replied, taking a step forward. "Kai, can you hear me?" he asked, his violet eyes reflecting the light from her necklace.  
  
.  
  
@~ Kai dropped to her knees, her eyes squeezed shut from pain. Her hands covered her temples as she tried not to cry out.  
  
"Kai."  
  
Startled by the female voice, Kai opened her eyes and looked up. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on what it was she was looking at. She was surrounded by darkness, even where her knees rested was indistinguishable from the rest of the place. Standing in front of her a few feet away was a woman.  
  
She had black hair that came down to rest on her shoulders. She wore a band around her forehead, from which the head of a cobra protruded. Her eyes were dark and mysterious, but they showed kindness as well. She wore a dress of gold silk, with tiny gold chains decorating her waist. An armband in the shape of a snake was around her right upper arm. Attached to the cord around her neck was an upside down pyramid with a cobra engraved on the front. She stood with her arms at her sides, looking at the teen.  
  
Kai stared at her. "Who are you?" she asked nervously.  
  
"You would know me as Cleo," she answered, a small smile on her lips.  
  
"Cleo?" Kai asked, staring at her. "You're not my grandmother!" Kai shakily got to her feet, glaring at the woman.  
  
"No, I'm not. Maybe you will recognize me by my full name. Cleopatra," she said, penetrating Kai's emerald eyes with her dark ones.  
  
"/What/?" Kai shrieked, lowering her hands to her sides. "You have /got/ to be kidding me!"  
  
"No, I'm not. There is a lot to explain and not much time to do it in. So let me speak, and you listen," Cleopatra said.  
  
Kai stared at her, shock and fear on her face. "What is going on?" she cried.  
  
"At the moment, you are friends with Yugi Motou. You are aware that the spirit in his Millennium Puzzle is Yami, once Pharaoh of Egypt," Cleopatra said.  
  
Kai's mouth opened slightly as she listened. "Yeah, so, what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"Kai, Yami is my son." ~@  
  
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a/n: Bet you weren't expecting /that/ were you? XD Want to know what else I have in store for you? What other twists I have put into this fic? Then REVIEW!!! Or I won't post the end. heh heh heh 


	32. Explanation

a/n: Here's to some of my reviewers:  
  
AnimeCrazy: Cleopatra had a number of children (In reality) and even twins I believe. As for being killed by her Roman lover, I don't know where you got that from, but it's definitely not true. Her first "lover" if you'd call it, was more a political thing. That was Caesar. He may have loved her, but I don't think she loved him. After he was assassinated, she struck up with Mark Anthony. They really did love each other and when he was killed in battle, the Roman's were coming for Cleopatra to capture her. She had seen what they had done to her sister (yes, she had a sister and two brothers), which was chain her and drag her through the streets of Rome, I forget if that was naked or not. So, Cleopatra smuggled an asp into her bedroom and committed suicide. Does this help? I hope so, I spent some time typing it! lol  
  
Akemi Koneko: Thank you! ^_^ I'm glad you liked the twist! There is at least another one in this chapter. Just so you know, I tried to keep what happened in the dub (yes, now you all hate me because I watch the dub and have no idea about the Jap version) as true as possible, I just changed the meaning of all that had happened. ^_^ And if you understood that, you're as crazy as I am. lol  
  
Inuko101: Okay, if you want to go all technical, Yami's and Cleopatra's time periods were most likely different. But, this is a fanfiction. Not everything can be perfect. ^_^ Just go with the flow, okay? lol  
  
K Yami Yugi29: *grins* Told you it was a twist! And there's at least another one in here too, so keep reading!  
  
V Son Sayian: ALL WILL BE REVEALED IN THIS CHAPTER!!! ^_^ I can't wait...!  
  
Samantha, Tsu-Tsu The Harpy Lady, NeferNeferi: I told you it would be something you'd never guess in a million years! ^_^ Wanna' know what else is goin' on? Keep reading, and of course, reviewing. ^_^  
  
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@~ Kai stared at Cleo, her mouth open in shock. Confusion struck her as she tried to process what the Egyptian just told her. "/What/?" she cried when she managed to get her vocal cords to work.  
  
"Yes. I should start at the beginning," Cleo said, looking calmly at Kai.  
  
"Yeah, it might make more sense if you start at the beginning," Kai said, her eyes still wide.  
  
Cleo chuckled before speaking again. "I had the powers you are now gaining. I was capable of seeing the future as well as many other abilities. So when Yami got to be of the age where he could become Pharaoh, I looked into the future to see what was in store for him. I was horrified when I saw the way he would have to save Egypt. At the young age of seventeen, he would seal himself in the Millennium Puzzle to be sure the Shadow powers were never released again. But there was another part of my vision. I saw that once the Shadow powers were again released, he would need help in 'saving the world' as some might say. I had to find this person who had to help him. So I began my work on the Serpent of Preservation." She touched the pyramid around her neck.  
  
Kai blinked a few times, trying to absorb this. This couldn't possibly be /true/, could it? Cleopatra? Yami's mother? Her grandmother?  
  
"I'm guessing you have noticed the similarity between the Serpent and the Millennium Puzzle?" Cleo asked.  
  
"Um, yeah. They both look like upside down pyramids?" Kai said.  
  
"Yes. Pharaohs are the only ones buried in pyramids, therefore the shape. That was the link between the Serpent and the Puzzle. You see, the Serpent of Preservation is similar to the Millennium Items, but more powerful. As you have seen, it can change shape. It would also allow me to put my spirit inside it as well as transfer my powers to another.  
  
"But I'm getting ahead of myself. When Yami was thirteen, I started work on the Serpent. I designed it to have a link to the Millennium Puzzle. When Yami was set free, the Serpent would find it's way into the hands of someone and I would be released, therefore able to search for the single person destined to help my son. When Yami was sixteen, I completed my work on it. I sealed myself inside, unknown to anyone. The Serpent changed into the stone necklace, later to be uncovered by archeologists digging in Egypt. But in the years it would be stolen from them, taken to a family as an Egyptian artifact, stolen by a little sister and hidden in a drawer. Years after that, the sister found it in her drawer. But she was so young when she had taken it, she didn't know it was an artifact and figured she didn't need it. So as she was sorting through her things to move out of her parent's house, she sent many items to the local thrift shop, the Serpent included.  
  
"The Serpent sat in that shop for about two weeks. It was about to be taken down and thrown away when I felt Yami's spirit. He had been released, therefore, so would I in a matter of hours. Sure enough, an elderly woman entered the store and bought what she thought was a stone necklace. When she returned home, she put it on. Instantly, I was released. I took her over, expelling her mind from her body. I'm not sure exactly where it went, all I know is that it could never return, just as I could never return to the Serpent. It was then I realized the age of the woman who I had taken control of. She was in good health for being in her seventies, but her body was still shutting down. I hadn't planned on someone this old taking the Serpent. How would I find the person to help my son now?  
  
In the weeks that passed as I tried to figure out what to do, I learned about this woman I was inhabiting. Her name was Rosario, and had a daughter who was married. A little later, Rosario received a phone call. Her daughter and her husband had been killed in a car accident. They had a two year old child who was still alive and Rosario was now being asked to care for it. I wasn't sure what to do now. Taking on this child might mean I could never help my son. But then I remembered that everything happens for a reason. So I agreed to care for the child. When I went to pick her up and looked at her for the first time, I knew that she was the one. She had to help Yami," Cleo said, her eyes focusing on Kai's.  
  
"Me," Kai said softly as she stared back at the Egyptian.  
  
Cleo nodded before continuing. "So I taught you and raised you into the type of person who would be willing to help my son. I earned money as a fortune teller as you know. Everything was going well until I felt Rosario's body start to fade. I realized she was dying and I would too, leaving you alone. I gave you the Serpent in the form of the necklace and gave you the prophesy. I could see you didn't believe it, but that really didn't matter. After that, I left to die.  
  
"But a part of my spirit still resided in the Serpent. It would have to be there so you would understand what the powers were. And you were correct in saying that Yami activated it. All this time I had been waiting for him. And when he came out of the Puzzle for the first time, the Serpent took action.  
  
Yugi was only needed to carry my son's spirit to you. In a way, he was being used, but he never really felt like it because he and Yami became friends. And then we saw the attraction between you and Yami."  
  
Kai felt herself flush, but said nothing.  
  
"It was perfect for me, he would feel as though he had to stay and help you and you wouldn't want him to leave, therefore he would be with you when the transformation was complete. But I also recognized the pain he was feeling. He was a spirit, and unable to be with you unless through Yugi, so he tried to stay away from you. But he just couldn't. And Carlos saw it. He felt threatened by Yami; he thought you would leave my son. So he tried to distract you and I saw that inside you he made you slightly confused. I couldn't let you become attracted to Carlos when you had to help Yami. And of course, the two of them couldn't stand each other, one being Roman, the other Egyptian," Cleo said, leaving out a few parts. There was no need to tell Kai how Carlos truly felt about her. It would be easier if the teen just thought he was protective of her.  
  
"But in any case, I had to straighten you out. I gave you memories, placed myself in your dreams. The only one I allowed to ease the pain was Yami. The more he felt compelled to help you, the longer he would stay. The more the two of you had feelings for one another, the more likely it would be that you would help him."  
  
"So you were using me?" Kai asked, slight anger working it's way through her.  
  
Cleo looked at her, a slight sadness in her eyes. "In a way, yes. But do you really feel as though you're being used?" She shifted her weight onto her right leg. "Are you not glad you met Yami?"  
  
"What? Why?" Kai asked, confusion taking the place of her anger.  
  
"Do you love him?" Cleo asked, piercing the redhead's eyes with her own.  
  
"That's none of your business!" Kai exclaimed, glaring at the Egyptian.  
  
"On the contrary, it is my business. Kai, are you in love with my son?"  
  
Kai looked at Cleo, her expression softening slightly. "Yeah," she said finally, looking down at the darkness she was standing on briefly.  
  
"There is a way for you two to be together," Cleo said.  
  
Kai looked up at her. "How? If he's a ghost -"  
  
"The Serpent has a bit of it's own power, as well as the love for Yami from both you and me. You can give him a body of his own."  
  
Kai stared at Cleo, her eyes widening. "How do I manage that? And what if something goes wrong?"  
  
"Nothing will go wrong. I promise you. The transformation is nearly complete and I have very little time left with you. When the Serpent has finished you will need time for your brain to rebuild itself. It has been changing this entire time, and it needs time to finish, or it could hurt you. Don't worry, you will wake up within a few days and with all the knowledge of how to use your powers and that of the Serpent."  
  
"And how to give Yami his own body?" Kai asked and Cleo nodded. There was silence for a few seconds before Kai spoke again quietly. "Will I ever see you again?"  
  
"No. You won't," Cleo said, looking rather sad. "But I want to thank you for letting me see my son once more." Tears were evident in her eyes for a moment, but she quickly blinked them away.  
  
Kai nodded, feeling sad herself. "No problem... Gran." ~@  
  
.  
  
Yami watched in horror as the light faded from around Kai and she collapsed to the ground. He and the gang ran to her side and he leaned over her. "Kai..." he said as he moved her onto her back. Her eyes remained closed and her head just rolled to the side. Fear flooded through him as he stared at her. "Kai!" he said, shaking her shoulder slightly.  
  
Tea clapped a hand over her mouth in horror, tears starting to fill her eyes. Bakura and Joey stared at her, their eyes wide while Tristan took hold of Kai's wrist.  
  
"There's still a pulse but it's weak," he informed the gang.  
  
"Kai! Look at me! Open your eyes!" Yami cried, shaking her again. His vision started to blur as he tried to get her to awaken, but to no avail.  
  
"Maybe we should get a doctor," Bakura suggested.  
  
"And say what?" Yami asked without looking at him. He lifted Kai in his arms and started back to the house, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.  
  
After he had laid Kai down on her bed and placed her hands on her stomach, he looked at her for a moment. His vision blurred once again and he couldn't stop himself this time. He sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned his elbows on his knees and bent his head down. He let the tears fall from his eyes and didn't notice when the gang started to enter the room, but left quickly upon seeing him.  
  
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a/n: Okay, the next chapter will be up within the week I hope. Don't forget to review this! Or I'll set Carlos on you! ^_^ 


	33. Explaining To Carlos

Carlos sat on the couch, the TV remote in his hand. He was watching Stephen King's "Storm of the Century," but he was finding it hard to follow the plot because he kept spacing out. Finally, he gave up and shut off the TV. He stood and entered the kitchen, grabbing the phone off the hook. He put the receiver to his ear and put his fingers on automatic as they dialed Kai's number. He waited as it rang. And rang. And rang.  
  
- Where is she? Is something wrong? - he thought, furrowing his brow as he leaned against the wall. Finally he heard the click as someone picked up.  
  
"Hello?" It was a female, but it wasn't Kai.  
  
"Who's this?" Carlos asked, his voice slightly dark. He didn't like the sinking feeling he had just gotten in his stomach.  
  
"Um, Tea. Is this Carlos?"  
  
"Yes. Where's Kai? Why didn't she pick up?" he asked, stepping away from the wall and running his hand through his hair.  
  
There was silence for a moment. "Um... Kai's asleep at the moment," Tea replied, her voice breaking slightly.  
  
"Tea! What's going on?" Carlos cried, slamming the side of his fist into the wall. His breath became ragged in sudden panic, his heart racing.  
  
There was another silence and he thought he heard her stifle a sob. "Maybe you should just come down," she said quietly.  
  
Carlos slammed the phone down on the hook and ran to the front door. He struggled with the doorknob for a moment with shaking hands before he took a deep breath and managed to pull it open. He ran down the front steps, the light breeze ruffling his dark hair. Panic flooding through him as he recalled Tea's tone, he sped down the road towards Kai's house.  
  
He arrived at her door a few minutes later, gasping for breath as he tried to pull the door open. He yelled in frustration when he realized it was locked.  
  
"Kai! Open the door!" he cried, pulling on the doorknob desperately. His throat was dry from breathing through his mouth as he had ran.  
  
Suddenly the doorknob was ripped out of his hands as the door was pulled open. Tea stood there, looking rather upset. Carlos stared at her for a moment before pushing past her into the house. Without a word to her, he glanced into the empty kitchen and entered the living room. He scanned the occupants of the room before rounding on Tea.  
  
"Where's Kai? What's going on?" he demanded.  
  
"You have to stay calm, okay?" she said softly, looking into his furious dark eyes with her blue ones.  
  
"Where is she?" he cried, taking a step towards the brunette, causing her to stumble backwards.  
  
"In here," she said, making a small motion for him to follow her. She turned and slowly started down the hall to Kai's bedroom. Carlos followed, his hands clenched into fists. He thought he was ready for the worst, however he would soon see he was wrong.  
  
Tea's hand hovered over the doorknob for a moment, her heart beating in her ears. She wasn't sure she could look at Kai again. She would probably burst into tears. How would Carlos react?  
  
After watching Tea for a few seconds, Carlos knocked her hand away and swung the door open so far it hit the wall. Yami, who had been sitting in a chair and staring out the open window, snapped his head towards the Italian. Carlos' eyes rested on Yami for a second, glaring at him, before he turned towards the bed.  
  
Kai looked as though she were sleeping, but the way her hands rested on her stomach told him something was wrong. He felt his heart stop as he took a few slow steps towards her. He stared at her, fear evident in his eyes as he stood over her bed.  
  
"Kai..." he muttered, touching her shoulder lightly. She didn't move... her eyelids didn't flutter like they usually did... she seemed so still... His breath became ragged again as he gripped her shoulder, beginning to shake it. "Kai!" he cried, his eyes wide with fear.  
  
"She won't wake up, Carlos," a somber voice said behind him. "I've tried everything and nothing has worked."  
  
Carlos spun around to stare at Yami. "What do you mean? What have you done?" he cried, the fear in his eyes melting to reveal fury.  
  
"I didn't do anything," Yami said, feeling anger well inside him too. How could Carlos think /he/ would do this?  
  
"Then what happened?" Carlos exclaimed. In a few short strides he was standing directly in front of Yami, his hand gripping the Egyptian's shirt.  
  
"Let go of me, Carlos," Yami said calmly, though his eyes sent a dangerous message.  
  
"/What happened to Kai?/" Carlos yelled, shaking Yami slightly.  
  
"I will explain if you let go of me," Yami said, grasping the Italian's hand with his own tightly.  
  
Carlos shoved him backwards as he let go of his shirt. "Explain, right now."  
  
"You may want to sit down," Yami said, indicating the chair he had been sitting in earlier.  
  
"I'm fine where I am. I want an explanation Yugi or I swear to God I'll give you plastic surgery the old fashioned way," Carlos snarled, holding up a fist.  
  
"Suit yourself." Yami sighed, unsure of where to start. After a moment, he spoke again. "When my friends and I arrived here, Kai started to... be able to do things."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Carlos growled, shifting his weight to his right leg.  
  
"I'm talking about mental powers. For the past couple weeks Kai has been developing powers. She has seen the future and read minds without knowing how or why she did it. Each time it happened, she was in serious pain. She described the pain to feel like someone was rearranging her mind, which is what I think has happened," Yami said, watching Carlos' furious expression carefully.  
  
"Bullshit! Don't give me that crap, what do you think I'm stupid?" he cried.  
  
"That thought has crossed my mind a few times, yes," Yami replied, crossing his arms. "However, I'm not lying to you. Ask any one of my friends." He waved his hand in the direction of the door, where Tristan, Joey, Tea and Bakura stood, watching the rivals.  
  
"He's telling the truth," Tea said, wrapping her arms around her waist as if trying to keep herself together.  
  
Carlos shifted his weight to his other leg as he shook his head, disbelieving. "This is ridiculous. I want to know what happened to my best friend! She's lying in a bed, unconscious! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?"  
  
"Carlos, calm down! I'm telling you the truth! Maybe if you listen, you will understand!" Yami exclaimed. "I'm sure you're aware of the stone necklace she wears. That's not what it looks like. I don't know what it is, but it's not a necklace. I have reason to believe that her grandmother wasn't who she said she was either. She gave Kai that necklace, and gave her a prophesy." He stopped and sighed, knowing he would probably have to explain about himself now too.  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Carlos snapped.  
  
"She told me. As I was saying, that stone has been feeding her these powers. I believe it's true shape is something like my Millennium Puzzle," he said, indicating the Puzzle around his neck. "It looks like a miniature model of it with a cobra engraved in it instead of the eye of Horus. The past few times Kai has done something involuntarily, the stone has glowed. We tried to remove it, but it only returned to her neck.  
  
"It seems that every time she had a spasm, the pain got worse." Yami stopped and took a deep breath. He glanced past Carlos at Kai before continuing. "A few days ago, that necklace did something to her. I can't explain how it was, but afterwards, she collapsed. She hasn't woken up since."  
  
Carlos stared at him, unsure of whether to believe him or not. He turned around and looked at Kai, confusion on his face. "Do you realize how farfetched this sounds?" he asked, turning back to Yami.  
  
"Yes. And this will sound even more unrealistic," Yami replied. "My name isn't Yugi. It's Yami. I'm the spirit of an Egyptian Pharaoh, preserved in the Millennium Puzzle for five thousand years. When I was Pharaoh, there was something called the Shadow Games. They were playing in the Shadow Realm. If you lost one of these games, your mind was trapped in the Shadow Realm for eternity. After a while, these powers got out of hand. I sealed them in the seven Millennium Items, and sealed my spirit in the Puzzle. Yugi solved the Puzzle a few years ago and in doing so, he released me. Our job now is to stop the Shadow powers from falling into the wrong hands.  
  
"The prophesy Kai's grandmother gave her when she gave her the necklace, was: It will activate when you meet the second face of the two faced man. That is me. Yugi and I are two in one body, and I am the second face. I don't know the reason why, or what I have to do with anything. But I hope that when... if... Kai wakes up, she will have the answers to all of these questions," Yami said, his gaze resting on Kai's motionless body.  
  
Carlos stared at Yami in shock. "You have to be lying. You can't possibly be telling the truth."  
  
"He is telling the truth," Bakura said. Everyone turned to look at him, Yami and Carlos slightly surprised at his voice. They had forgotten he was there. Bakura touched his Millennium Ring. "A spirit resides in my Ring too. He takes control of my body without my consent and... he's basically evil. Yami isn't like my spirit at all. Yugi is lucky to have someone kind to live with." He lowered his head slightly, as if slightly upset that his spirit was evil.  
  
Carlos stared at him. "Prove it. How do I know this isn't all a big lie?"  
  
"It isn't. It's true," Yami said.  
  
Carlos looked at him for a few seconds before speaking quietly. "So you're telling me that Kai is unconscious because of her necklace, and you are an Egyptian pharaoh. I don't know why, but I believe you."  
  
Yami nodded slowly, looking over at Kai. Carlos noted the sad look in his eyes and realization crept into him. He sighed and looked down at the floor briefly. He looked back up at Yami, sadness in his own eyes.  
  
"You really care about her, don't you?" he asked quietly.  
  
Yami looked at him and nodded. "Yes."  
  
Carlos looked over his shoulder at Kai, feeling his heart split in two. He turned completely and walked over to her bed. Looking down at her, he slid his hands into his pockets. "She feels the same way about you. I don't know how you'll make it work if you're living inside Yugi, but Kai will find a way. She always does."  
  
Yami took a few steps toward Carlos, feeling sorry for him. Carlos knew he wasn't going anywhere with Kai and he was hurting. Despite the fact that Yami didn't like him, he still felt sorry for him. In truth, he wasn't really a bad guy, but he had been competition and therefore, Yami's enemy.  
  
Yami was trying to think of something to say, but Carlos turned around to face him. He took a few steps toward the Egyptian, a stern look in his eyes. "But if you ever hurt her, I promise I will put you in the hospital. And I never break a promise," he said, his voice quiet, but dangerous.  
  
"I would never hurt her Carlos. I promise you that. And I never break a promise," Yami said, looking directly into Carlos' eyes.  
  
Carlos nodded slightly, feeling as though his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He turned back towards Kai, pain in his eyes. Everything Yami had just explained to him was still sinking in. He touched Kai's shoulder lightly, his eyes falling on the stone necklace around her neck. His hand moved to it, lightly lifting it off her chest. He leaned on the bed, bending his head closer to it. As he stared at it, he realized it wasn't the stone he had thought it to be at first glance. It was how Yami had described it. He stared at the cobra engraved in it, it's ruby eyes glittering as he turned the pendant.  
  
- How do I know Yugi... or whoever... didn't just put this around her neck? - Carlos paused, remembering the look in Yami's eyes. He wouldn't have done that. Carlos straightened, trying to find his voice.  
  
"When she wakes up," he said softly, willing himself to believe she would. "What will you do?"  
  
"I don't know," Yami replied. His dislike for the Italian was melting away, allowing him to feel pain for him.  
  
"Will you leave?" Carlos asked, his head bent slightly in sorrow. He fought to keep his vision clear as he looked at Kai. -This is a joke... please tell me this is all a joke... -  
  
"It's possible," Yami said.  
  
"Where will you go?"  
  
"I don't know. But wherever it is, Kai will stay in touch with you. I don't think she could live without you as her best friend," Yami said.  
  
Carlos nodded slightly, a lump forming in his throat. "Take care of her, Yami."  
  
"I will."  
  
Carlos straightened and turned towards the gang. If he stayed any longer, he knew he might cry, and he didn't want Yami to see that. Without a word, he headed towards the door. The gang moved out of his way and he left without looking back. 


	34. Awakening

a/n: Ciao amici! It's me again. I'm so sorry I haven't posted, I've been stuck with homework. scowls Blast the homework!! Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that maybe you should go read the end of the last chapter because for some reason the end was cut off before and this chapter will make a lot more sense if you read the end of the last one. lol So, anyway. This chapter is here for after you do that, though.   
  
"...What happened...?" Kai's eyes fluttered open as she sat up slowly. She ran her hand through her scarlet hair and blinked a few times into the darkness. Her headache was gone, yet she felt slightly out of it. She rubbed her eyes and blinked again, looking around the empty room.  
  
- How long have I been asleep? - she thought, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She could vaguely remember Cleo and what she had told her. As she sat there everything came flooding back. So... now what? Could she really do things with her mind now?  
  
Slightly nervous and slightly excited, she slowly reached her right arm out to the side. She lifted her palm to the light switch and stared at it. There was a click as the switch flipped, illuminating the room. Kai's eyes widened and she lowered her arm, staring up at the light bulb.  
  
"Cool," she muttered, a slight grin on her face. She looked at her hands, her grin widening as she started to nod. "Very cool."  
  
Kai stopped for a second and listened to the voices in the living room. She looked at her watch and studied it for a second. The little square in the face gave her the date and her eyes widened as she looked at it.  
  
- Yikes, I've been asleep for four days! The gang must be worried out of their minds! Well, maybe everyone but Joey, he seems perfectly fine. - She held in a laugh as she heard the blonde talking over all the rest in the next room.  
  
Her stomach jumped as she thought she heard Yami. - That's right! Cleo said I could give him his own body! And I think I know how too. Wow, this is kind of freaky... - she thought. She stood slowly, hoping her legs wouldn't collapse out from under her. She sighed in relief when she stood without any difficulty. Grinning with anticipation of seeing Yami, she headed to the door and put a hand on the doorknob. With a deep breath she swung it open and stepped through.  
  
Her heart began to beat in her ears as the voices in the living room grew louder. She stopped just before she was in view of them and took a deep breath. She ran her hand through her hair and took a few slow steps forward.  
  
Joey was standing and telling some kind of weird story, but he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Kai. The rest of the gang saw the direction of his stare and they snapped around to her.  
  
"Kai! You're awake!" Yami cried, jumping out of his seat. He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Are you all right?"  
  
Kai pulled out of his embrace just enough to place her hands on his cheeks and pull him into a kiss. She held it for a couple of seconds before pulling away. "I am now," she said, smiling.  
  
Yami stared at her, his heart racing. As a smile formed on his lips, his mind shut down. He allowed his desire to take over as he pressed his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her body against his. As she place her arms around his neck he felt all the passion he had kept inside flood to the surface. He allowed his feelings to take control, something he had longed to do for some time. He felt his heart pound as the kiss deepened. He never wanted to let her go, but after a few more seconds he became aware of Joey calling his name.  
  
"Joey to Yami, Joey to Yami, come in Yami," he said, waving his hand though Yami's back was towards him.  
  
Yami pulled out of the kiss, his eyes locked in a gaze with Kai. Both were oblivious to the pink tint that had worked its way into their cheeks. It was Tea who finally snapped them out of their trance.  
  
"Kai... what happened?"  
  
Yami let of Kai and looked over his shoulder briefly at Tea. "Yes, what did happen?"  
  
Kai smiled as her eyes flitted around the room at her friends before resting on Yami once more. "I have a lot to explain and you may want to sit down for it."  
  
The gang sat in the living room, staring at Kai like she just dropped in from outer space. She stood in the center of the room, a huge grin on her face.  
  
"You can give me a body of my own?" Yami asked quietly, stunned with shock at all Kai had just told him.  
  
She turned her gaze to him and smiled. "You bet."  
  
A mix of emotion flooded Yami. His own body... that meant he could be with Kai... but he had gotten to used to having Yugi around and he would miss him. And what would Yugi do? If he couldn't come with him to help Yami find his memories, would he and his friends just go back to school? How could they go back to a normal life after this? He hadn't expected that he would get a body of his own; it was something that had never crossed his mind.  
  
- Yami? -  
  
- Yes, Yugi? -  
  
- Are you going to leave? -  
  
- I have to. According to what Kai said, she has to help me in my quest. -  
  
- But that means I can't help you! I don't want you to leave! -  
  
- Half of me wants to stay with you, Yugi, but the other half doesn't. You have to understand, if there was a way we could stay together and still complete the rest of our mission, I would do it. -  
  
- I know. And you're right. You have to go with Kai, and this means you can finally be together. -  
  
Yami couldn't help but feel his spirits lift slightly. - Yes. -  
  
- I'm going to miss you, Yami. -  
  
- And I will miss you as well, Yugi. -  
  
- Will you stay in touch? -  
  
- Of course. -  
  
- So... when does this happen? -  
  
Yami looked up at Kai, who was watching him curiously. His throat felt dry with anticipation. He would have his own body, but more than that, he would have Kai. "When are we doing this?"  
  
"Whenever you and Yugi are ready," she said, smiling.  
  
- I'm ready, Yami. -  
  
Yami nodded and stood, his heart pounding in his chest. "We are, Kai."  
  
"Okay, um... where should we do it then? Outside might be best; I still don't know all the details of how it will work," she said, waving her hand at the front door.  
  
Yami nodded, his gaze locked with Kai's for a second. They were brought back down to Earth by Joey.  
  
"Wait a minute. You're gonna' give him his body now? You just woke up!" he said, scratching his head in confusion.  
  
"Well, it's up to Yami, whenever he's ready, I'm ready," Kai said, looking over her shoulder at Joey.  
  
"I'm ready," Yami said, standing.  
  
She smiled at him, her emerald eyes glittering. "Okay. Well, I guess we should get started then. You guys might want to move out of the way," she said to the rest of the gang.  
  
a/n: I'll try to get the next chapter out soon guys, kay? 


	35. A Body of His Own

Kai led the way outside, Yami close behind her. The rest of the gang backed away, leaving Yami and Kai in the center of the yard. They smiled at each other, then looked away, feeling heat rise into their faces.  
  
"Um, right. So, first you have to change into Yugi," Kai said, running her hand through her hair.  
  
Yami nodded as the Puzzle glowed. He seemed to have shrunk about two feet as she now looked down at Yugi.  
  
"Hey, Kai," he said, attempting to smile. His heart wasn't completely in this and it was obvious. Kai felt slightly bad for him, knowing he had gotten to know Yami and was almost dependent on him. But she couldn't feel too guilty about it because her excitement at having Yami overwhelmed her.  
  
"Hi. I don't think I've officially met you," she said, smiling warmly at him. She extended a hand and Yugi took it.  
  
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you," he agreed. If there was anyone who he'd give Yami up to, Kai was it. It was destiny and Yugi couldn't get in the way.  
  
"Well, the next step is you have to give me the Puzzle," she said. It felt so strange to be looking /down/ at him.  
  
With a sigh, Yugi lifted the chain over his head, handing the artifact to Kai. - I guess this is goodbye, Yami. - He backed up with the rest of the gang, sadness in his heart.  
  
- Okay, this is it, - Kai thought, staring at the Puzzle. She took a deep breath, cupping it in her hands. As she extended her arms, she closed her eyes. She cleared all thoughts from her mind, concentrating on nothing. A few seconds later, her Serpent began to glow.  
  
The gang watched in shock as the engraved snake in Kai's pendant came to life, escaping from the necklace. The golden cobra traveled along her shoulder and began winding its way down her arm. She seemed oblivious to it as she stood motionless, her eyes shut.  
  
A second later, the snake was winding around the Puzzle. Its head popped up over the top as if peering out over the Puzzle. When its tail finished attaching to the Millennium Item, a white light shot out from it, blinding the gang.  
  
As Kai felt the Puzzle fly out of her hands, she opened her eyes, only to shield them with her hand against the light.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Joey cried.  
  
A moment later, the light was absorbed back into the Puzzle, which was hanging around Yami's neck. The cobra was still wound around it, its eyes a ruby red. The gang immediately looked over at Yugi to be sure there were two of them.  
  
"I'm seein' double!" Joey exclaimed, looking back and forth between his friend and the Pharaoh.  
  
Yami touched the Millennium Puzzle, looking up at Kai. His violet eyes showed distinct confusion and awe as he gazed at her. "The Puzzle, why is there a..."  
  
"The cobra is what gives you your body. Your Millennium Puzzle holds your spirit. Together..." Kai said, waving her hand at him with a broad smile.  
  
Yami smiled, turning towards the younger version of himself. Yugi just gave him a small smile and nodded discretely to Kai. The Pharaoh looked back at the redhead, his heart soaring. He walked up to her, running his hand through her hair gently. Then, with all the passion he had kept inside, he kissed her.  
  
a/n: Okay, I'll get the next chapter out soon because here is where I got inspired!! lol Okay, well, just review, kay? 


	36. Five Years Later

a/n: Five years later, this is what's goin' on. There are a few more chapters after this, but I'm finally nearing the end. At... thirty-six chapters and still counting. lol  
  
FIVE YEARS LATER...  
  
Kai leaned against the car, her arms folded. Her fingers drummed impatiently on her arms as she sighed, waiting for her friends. Her scarlet hair was as wavy as ever, tied back in a bushy ponytail. Her emerald eyes were full of excitement as she awaited her best friend.  
  
Yami sat on the hood of their car, a smile on his face as he watched her. The Millennium Puzzle still hung from his neck, the cobra still wound around it. He couldn't wait to see his friends either, but Kai's anticipation of seeing Carlos outweighed his by a long shot.  
  
A week ago the two of them had called their friends, telling them to come to New York City. They had something of great importance to tell them and it couldn't wait. Kai remembered how aggravated Carlos had sounded when she wouldn't tell him what it was she wanted him to come for.  
  
Now they waited outside the Red Lobster. Tea and Yugi were the first to arrive, pulling up in a nice convertible. As they got out, Yami jumped down off the hood and came to stand beside Kai. Though that didn't last for very long because she immediately shot over to Tea, wrapping her arms around the brunette's neck. Both guys found themselves pressing their hands to their ears and wincing as the girls shrieked with excitement.  
  
"Oh my /god/, it's been way too long!" Kai exclaimed, holding her friend at arm's length.  
  
"I know! You look great!" Tea said, smiling broadly.  
  
"I think I've gone deaf," Yugi muttered, rubbing his ear vigorously.  
  
Yami chuckled, removing his hands from his ears. The two looked at each other and grinned. "You've grown," Yami said, eyeing his friend's new height.  
  
"Yeah!" Yugi said excitedly. "You look pretty good, I bet you feel the same way, right?"  
  
Yami chuckled. "More than you know."  
  
"Really? Fill me in!" Yugi said, grinning.  
  
The Pharaoh folded his arms and leaned against the car. "Not yet. Kai will go ballistic if I tell anyone before Carlos gets here." The two laughed as they watched the girls squeal and hug each other.  
  
Another car pulled up and Tristan stepped out, a girl with long brown hair accompanying him. The girls shrieked and ambushed the newcomers, throwing their arms around them.  
  
"Serenity! How are you?" Tea cried, pulling away from the girl.  
  
"I'm good, you?" Serenity asked.  
  
"So you're Serenity?" Kai asked, pulling away from Tristan.  
  
"Yeah, Tristan told me about Yami and you. You're Kai-Tara, right?" she asked. Yami and Yugi joined the group, each shaking Tristan's hand in turn.  
  
"Please, call me Kai. Everyone does," she replied, waving her hand.  
  
"'Cept for Yami, who calls ya' 'hon,' right?"  
  
Kai turned and squealed as Joey stepped out of his car. She ran over to him and flung her arms around his neck, pushing him back into his door. "Joey!" she cried, holding onto him tightly.  
  
"Gah! You're stranglin' me!" he choked, trying to push Kai away. She giggled and let go, looking over at the blonde who had taken a seat on the hood of Joey's car.  
  
Kai grinned at Joey and folded her arms. "You gonna' introduce me to your girlfriend?"  
  
"Mai Valentine," the blonde said, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "Joey told me you and Yami have some big surprise. How long are you going to make us wait?" she asked, smiling.  
  
"We have to wait until Carlos gets here," Kai said.  
  
"Carlos, Joey was telling me he was jeal..." Mai started but Joey clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
He gave a nervous laugh and said, "I told her you two were best friends." Mai pulled his hand from her mouth and gave him a look.  
  
Kai raised her eyebrow, but said nothing about it. She smiled as Yami came over and greeted Joey and Mai.  
  
"So you two are finally together?" Tea asked, folding her arms and grinning at the blondes.  
  
"Eh, shut up, Tea," Joey said. "You're with Yugi."  
  
Everyone spun around and stared at her. "You are?" Kai asked, looking at Yugi for the first time. "Oh my god!" she cried, stepping up to him. "When did you get taller than me?"  
  
Everyone cracked up and didn't stop laughing until another car pulled up. A black convertible with an Italian sitting behind the wheel. Carlos took off his sunglasses and rested his elbow on the window, grinning at the rest of the gang.  
  
"Carlos!" Kai screeched, dashing over to him. She didn't even wait for him to open his door before wrapping her arms around him.  
  
"Well, you just can't stand the fact that I'm here, can you?" he said, putting his arms around her tightly. "Okay, will you let me get out of the car?"  
  
"Yeah, okay," she said, backing up, smiling broadly. She waved at Elaine, who was sitting in the passenger side.  
  
As soon as Carlos was on the other side of his car door, Kai was on him again. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around before holding her at arm's length. They studied each other for a moment, grinning. Carlos' hair was as black as ever and still slightly messy. On his upper lip was a thin mustache.  
  
"You look great!" Kai said, beaming. "You must have girls all over you!"  
  
"Yeah," he said, smirking. "You don't look half bad yourself."  
  
"I know," she said, playing with her ponytail briefly. They laughed and embraced again as Elaine got out of the car.  
  
"So what's the big surprise?" she asked, swinging her purse over her shoulder.  
  
"Of course! Okay, okay," Kai said, backing away from Carlos. She ran over to Yami and looped her arm through his. The gang all looked at each other before gathering around. "You wanna' say it or should I?" Kai asked Yami, prodding him in the side.  
  
"I don't know," he replied, taking hold of her hand.  
  
"You do it," she said, grinning.  
  
Yami sighed, before putting his arm around Kai's shoulders. "All right. I suppose you all want to know what the big surprise is," he said, looking at the gang.  
  
"Isn't that why we're here?" Carlos asked, folding his arms.  
  
"Yeah, come on. I'm dying from suspense here," Mai said as Joey put an arm around her. She held onto his hand as he caught sight of Tristan placing an arm around Serenity. "Down boy," Mai said, grinning.  
  
Yami chuckled. "Kai and I are engaged," he announced. Kai held up her left hand, the diamond ring reflecting the sunlight.  
  
There were numerous squeals of delight from the girls and cheering from the guys. Carlos, however, was simply stunned.  
  
"You're... engaged?" he asked, staring at his best friend. His feelings for her had never wavered, even over the time they had been apart. How could she be getting married to anyone but him?  
  
"Yeah! Isn't it great?" she said, leaning her head on Yami's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah! Congratulations, Kai! And Yami!" Elaine said, elbowing her brother subtly.  
  
"So who's best man?" Joey asked.  
  
"I think it's only fair if that's Yugi," Yami said, looking at his friend. Yugi beamed and agreed instantly.  
  
"And the maid of honor?" Elaine asked, grinning. "Me, right?"  
  
"No, sorry," Kai said. "We're not exactly doing this traditionally. I'm not going to have a maid of honor, more like a second best man. That's you, Carlos!"  
  
"Say what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"You're going to be my best man," Kai said, beaming.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Sure," he said, giving her his best smile. Not only was he going to go to the wedding of the girl he was in love with, he was going to stand next to her as she kissed someone else at the alter. How much worse could this day get?  
  
"Well, when's the wedding?" Serenity asked.  
  
"Next month. We still have to get everything ready and stuff," Kai said.  
  
"You don't have a dress?" Tea asked incredulously.  
  
"Not yet," Kai replied.  
  
"Well, we have to fix that. But first, let's grab lunch. I'm starved," Mai said.  
  
"Yeah, me too!" Joey agreed.  
  
"Joey, you're always hungry," Tea said, grinning.  
  
"Can't forget me!" Tristan said. Everyone laughed as the headed for the door of the Red Lobster. Almost like the old days.  
  
a/n: I like these next chapters and I hope you do too. Don't forget to review o' course! 


	37. Proposal

a/n: I'm so sorry I haven't posted in forever. I'll try to get these next chapters posted soon. I'll probably be taking down _A Love You Can't Touch _and _Nothing to Look at_ though because I've lost my inspiration. If you want to continue reading me work, you can read the end of this fic and the rest of _A Drastic Turn_. On I am writing three more stories, however, so look for them. I'm Greenwood Dancer there as well.

"Mmmm, I don't know, I don't think it's for me," Kai said, turning in front of the mirror. She lifted up the many skirts of the wedding dress she had on with difficulty as she turned. "I can't move in it!"

"And it isn't exactly the best cut either. Here, try this one," Mai said.

"It's nice, but I don't think it's right," Elaine said, eyeing the dress the blonde was holding up. "What about this one?" She pressed a wedding dress with a knee length skirt against her.

"You can't have a wedding dress that comes above the knees! At least, not in a wedding like this. You need something more like this," Tea said, raising a satin one with a long, straight skirt.

"I don't know, I kind of like this one," Serenity said, looking at a different one.

"Oh, hey Serenity, let me see that," Kai said, stepping down off the platform, holding her skirt in her arms with difficulty. She took the dress from Serenity and smiled. "Let me try this one." She disappeared into the dressing room and the other girls began to hang up their rejected choices.

"How's it coming, Kai?" Elaine asked after a few minutes.

"I like it, I like it!" Kai said, opening the door and stepping out. She wore an off the shoulder, long sleeved dress with a full skirt. She jumped up onto the platform and turned. "Ooh, I think this is it! Where's the veil, Serenity?"

"Here!" Serenity said, placing it on Kai's head. The sheer material reached her ankles in the back, her shoulders in front.

Flipping the front back, Kai hugged her friend. "Thank you! This is it! Maybe I should call Yami over to be sure he likes it."

"What? Kai, it's bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding," Tea protested.

"I thought that was just the bride right before the wedding," Kai said, confused.

"This is before the wedding, isn't it?" Elaine said.

"But what if he doesn't like it?"

"Trust me sweetheart, he'll like it," Mai assured her.

Elaine smirked. "Yeah, I'll bet you anything he doesn't care what dress you have on. In fact, I'm sure he'd be just fine if you came down the isle naked!"

"Elaine!" Kai exclaimed with a laugh as Tea and Serenity stared at her, shocked grins on their faces.

"Good one, Elaine," Mai said, smiling.

"You know, Kai, you never told us how Yami proposed," Tea said.

"Oh it was so romantic," Kai said, sweeping into the chair between Elaine and Serenity. "Well, it was Valentine's. See, Yami had gotten sick and had to stay home, so I made sure he was set and I went to work. When I came home, all the lights were off."

_ "Honey, I'm home!" Kai called, stifling a giggle. As the front door to their apartment swung shut behind her, she realized she was standing in darkness. Unable to see two inches past her nose, she concentrated for a second. The hall light flipped on and she hung her coat on the hook by the door._

_ "Yami?" she said, looking down the hall to where the bedroom was. The door was cracked, just as she'd left it earlier that morning and there was darkness coming from it._

Yami must still be asleep, poor thing, _she thought, walking down the hall to the door. As she gently pushed the door open to see him, the light in the hall went out. She started, snapping her head to the front door, her eyes darting around nervously._

_ "Yami?" she asked slowly, turning around. She headed towards the door again, her stomach starting to jump. This time she felt along the wall for the light switch, but her hand touched another. She gave a short scream as the light flicked on. Her eyes widened as she saw the familiar smirk on Yami's face._

_ She stared at him in disbelief for a moment, looking him up and down. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a bit of his chest. It hugged him nicely, as did the jeans he wore. The Millennium Puzzle hung around his neck on its chain and, the eyes of the cobra wrapped around it seemed to sparkle. He smiled down at Kai, his deep violet eyes warm and kind._

_ "What…? But you're sick…!" she stammered, confusion replacing her panic._

_ Yami chuckled. He placed a hand on her shoulder before flipping the light out again. She stumbled a little as he guided her down the dark hall. As they reached the doorway to the living room, Kai noticed there was a dim light coming from it. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the source. On the coffee table was a dinner that looked like it came from the local restaurant. Two candles stood in the center of the table, their flames flickering. The fireplace crackled, a soft red glow engulfing the room._

_ Kai felt Yami's hands take hold of her shoulders lightly from behind and she turned her head to him. "Did you do all of this?" she asked, her emerald eyes finding his violet ones._

_ He nodded, turning her around gently and pulling her close. "Happy Valentine's Day," he murmured. He kissed her gently, his lips soft and tender. Kai slid her hands up his arms around his neck as Yami tightened his hold on her slightly. The sensation of his lips on hers still sent butterflies through her stomach and there was nowhere she'd rather be than in his arms. He made her feel so secure, so safe. Nothing could hurt her while he was there. She didn't want to end the kiss, and as he pulled away gently, she could sense he was somewhat reluctant as well. Their eyes met for a few brief seconds and the soft smiles on their faces as they gazed at each other could have been a scene from a movie._

_ They let go of each other and moved to the couch, the candlelight flickering as Yami and Kai disturbed the air around them. Yami smiled at her before picking one of the empty plates up from the corner of the table and proceeding to put mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, turkey, and cranberry sauce on it. He handed it along with a fork to Kai, who took it with a smile. She took a bite of the potatoes as Yami gathered some food for himself._

_ "This is really good; did you make all this yourself?" she asked in surprise._

_ Yami nodded and smiled at her. He reached down beside the table and pulled a bottle of wine from an ice bucket. Kai couldn't help but go slightly red as he poured some into two glasses. She read the bottle as he moved to put it back in the bucket. _Arbor Mist_. Her favorite. She couldn't believe Yami remembered._

_ He looked about ready to toast her when he turned and reached for the remote on the end table by the couch. He pointed it at the stereo and a soft melody began. Kai's smile widened as she recognized her favorite song,_ Key Largo. _Her heart completely melted as Yami raised his glass and said in his smooth, velvety voice, "Here's lookin' at you, kid." Their glasses chimed as they touched and, smiling at each other over the rims, the lovers took a sip._

_ "How did you do it? I mean, make such great food?" Kai asked. She couldn't figure out how he could use the exact same recipes she did and come out with gourmet food while hers was barely fit for the rats._

_ Yami chuckled. "I just followed the directions and made sure I had all the right ingredients. I didn't improvise basil for garlic."_

_ Kai blushed. "Oh."_

_ The song changed to Carly Simon's _Coming Around Again, _another one of Kai's favorite songs. She suspected Yami had specifically picked the ones she liked out and put them on a CD special for this night. He always did something wonderful for Valentine's Day, but this was by far the greatest he had done yet._

_ "This must have taken you all day," she said, taking a forkful of corn._

_ Yami laughed, the most soothing sound Kai had ever heard. "It did. I wanted to do everything from scratch and I got the cream for the corn wrong many times. Mashing the potatoes was no easy task either and only after I had finished I realized I had forgotten to peel them."_

_ "You mean you had to go fishing through it for all the skin?" Kai laughed and he nodded._

_ "I would have been a tremendous joke for more experienced chefs," he said, smiling._

_ "Well, you did a wonderful job," she said, the candlelight reflecting in her emerald eyes._

Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue _was playing now and Kai was humming it softly to herself. She looked up as Yami asked her to sing it a little louder._

_ "Oh no, I can't," she said, blushing. The orange glow from the fireplace made her cheeks seem even redder than they were._

_ "Of course you can," Yami said. She knew from experience he would just stare at her until she gave in. So, she sang. Yami just watched her, a soft smile on his face, the dim light enhancing his every feature. His eyes looked so romantic, as though she were the only thing in the world he cared about. Kai knew he could get her to do anything he wanted if he only gazed at her like that, but also knew he would never try. She loved him more than anything and wanted so much to be able to show him that somehow, but she couldn't find the words or the way. So, she could only hope he knew._

_ "That was beautiful," he said when she had finished singing. She blushed as he traced her cheek with his fingers. He leaned in and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, he reached over to the end table again and held a small box tied with a red ribbon out to her._

_ Kai smiled as she took it and gently pulled the ribbon off. She lifted the lid and the necklace inside took her breath away. Two golden cartouches hung vertically from a bar on a delicate gold chain._

_ "It's beautiful!" she breathed as Yami took the necklace from the box. "But why are there two?" she asked._

_ He leaned forward to put it around her neck as he said, "One is my name, and one is yours."_

_ Kai smiled, touching the cartouches. "Just a minute while I get your present," she said, getting up from the couch. She went down the hall to the closet and took out a flat, square present. She brought it back to Yami and handed it to him. She bit her lip as she waited for his reaction._

_ As the wrapping paper fell away, Yami's eyes rested on a color painting of the pyramids. They were visible in the distance across the desert sands, which blew in a mist around the canvas. "Did you paint this?" he asked, looking up at Kai._

_ She nodded. "Remember I was taking art classes?" she asked._

_ Yami set the painting beside him on the floor, leaning against the couch. "It's wonderful. It looks so realistic," he said, leaning over to her again. Their lips touched, this time slightly longer than before. "I do have one other thing," he said when they pulled apart. He brought around from his back a small velvet box and Kai's eyes widened as he spoke. "Kai," he said, pulling the lid of the box open. A diamond ring sat in a tiny cushion, reflecting the light of the candles and the fireplace._

_ Kai felt a tingling sensation flood through her as her pulse increased tremendously. She'd forgotten to breathe, her lungs and every other organ in her body seeming to refuse to work correctly. Her hand rose slowly to her chest, unable to believe Yami was giving her a ring._

_ "Kai, will you be my queen?" he asked, his eyes locking on hers. For a split second, he looked as though he was holding his breath as well, waiting, hoping for her answer._

_ Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly for a few seconds, her hands starting to shake. She forced her vocal cords to work finally. "Yes! Oh Yami, yes!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as they found each other's lips._

"Oh that's so romantic!" Tea said, clutching her hands to her chest. A dazed look was in her eyes as she sighed.

"I know," Serenity said. Her shoulders rose to about her cheeks as she sighed heavily, a soft grin on her face.

"Sometimes I wonder how Joey would propose if he ever did," Mai said. She sat with her legs crossed and her arms along the back of the bench the girls sat on. Even she had a dreamy look in her eyes for a second. Then she laughed and said, "It'd probably be at some restaurant where he'd hide the ring in my muffin."

The girls laughed as the rest started thinking of how their boyfriends would propose.

"I could see Yugi watching the sunset with me, his arm around my shoulders, and just before the sun completely went down, bringing out the ring," Tea said wistfully. She got a few "awww's" before Serenity spoke.

"Tristan might take me for a ride on his motorcycle to the beach where we'd have a picnic under an umbrella," she said, her hands clasped in her lap.

"What about you Elaine?" Kai asked, looking at the Italian.

"Yeah, come on," Tea encouraged.

"Well, actually, I don't have a boyfriend right now. But I could say how I think Carlos might propose," Elaine said, stealing a glance at Kai. The bride showed no signs of suspicion, and Elaine breathed in relief.

"All right, let's hear it," Mai said.

"Well," Elaine started, grinning. "First, he might make take his girl to some extravagant Italian restaurant and then take her for a moonlight walk on the beach. They'd hold hands and yadda yadda," she said, waving her hand. "And when they got back home, he'd get down on his knee and give her the ring."

"That sounds kind of nice," Serenity said, looking at Elaine.

"That's Carlos for you. He can be really sweet when he wants to be," Kai said, smiling.

"Mmm," Mai said. In the few moments in which she had met Carlos, she had noticed his attraction to Kai and perhaps she thought it best to change the subject. "Well, let's make sure this is the dress you want and get to buying it. We have a lot of things to plan."

"Right," Kai said, getting up. "Find me a dress!" she said, getting up on the platform in front of the mirrors. The rest of the girls began searching through the wide assortment of dresses again, laughing and joking all the way.

a/n: Oh, if you like Harry Potter, go to , join the site and join my two RPGs in The Riddle House! My RPGs are _Related To Him _and _Riddle of the Riddles._


	38. Bachelor Party

a/n: This is kind of a sad chapter, but I hope you like it anyway. I really feel bad for Carlos. lol It's funny, he started out as a guy who worked in Randy's Pizzeria and only had one scene. Slowly he grew into Kai's best friend, then into Yami's rival. Through all of this, I've really gotten to like him. I want to do something nice for him, but I can't think of what. I might get that in before the end of this story; I hope so. I don't want him to leave miserable. lol Anyway, go on and read. Don't forget to review at the end!

Kai hummed happily as she did a few things around the apartment. It was Saturday, the day before the wedding. Every time she thought about it, her stomach did flips. She'd finally be marrying Yami. They had already decided that their honeymoon would be spent in Egypt. Yami had said that he wanted to show his new queen her kingdom. But what better way to discover the memories of the Pharaoh than in Egypt itself? Kai couldn't wait for tomorrow. That day would be the start of a completely new life. She wondered what Yami's memories contained, what was locked inside his mind that he couldn't reach. If she could help him remember what it was he forgot, that would be the most wonderful thing that could happen to her.

So, she continued to clean up, smiling widely as she worked. The stereo was playing the CD Yami had made for her on Valentine's Day and the song had come around to _I Can't Smile Without You _by Barry Manilow. She sang to it softly, identifying most of the words with how she felt about Yami. She was going into the living room to turn it up so she'd be able to hear it over the sound of the water as she did the dishes when there was a buzz from the door. With a slightly confused look, she walked over to the door. It wasn't Yami; he was at the bachelor party. Maybe it was one of the girls.

"Yes?" Kai said, pressing the button by the door.

"Kai? It's Carlos. Can I come up?"

"Oh! Of course!" she exclaimed, letting him in. A few minutes later, he was at the door. "Hi," Kai said as he entered the apartment. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the party?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a little while. But today's the last day I'm going to see you as Kai-Tara Lee. Tomorrow you'll be Mrs. Yami… Wait a minute… What _is _your last name going to be?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Kaltesh," she replied. "We decided we could just make one up."

"Ah, I see. And Yami's going to go around with a name like… Yami? Yami Kaltesh?" Carlos looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"He's from a different country. They'll ask him where he's from and he'll say Egypt," she said with a smile.

"I see. Well, make's sense I guess," he said, walking into the living room. Kai picked up the remote for the stereo and shut it off as Carlos sat himself down on the couch. "The place smells like Pine Sol. You've been cleaning?"

Kai laughed and sat next to him. "Yeah, I want it to be clean."

"For when you leave for Egypt?"

"Well, when you put it that way it does sound sort of strange," she laughed. "Maybe it's just to give me something to do. Practice being a good wife or something."

"Kai, you don't need practice for that. You'd be a good wife even if you couldn't tell a pot from a plate," he said, smiling softly at her.

She giggled. "I'm glad to hear that because sometimes I think I can't tell the difference! You know I can't cook to save my life."

"Oh god, all the meals I had to endure because I didn't want to hurt your feelings." Now they were both laughing.

"Yeah, I always did wonder why you never ate much!" she said. Her laughter faded slightly, though, when Carlos rested his arm along the couch behind her. She suddenly became very aware of his fingers playing softly with her hair and the gentle smile he was giving her.

"I'm gonna' miss you, you know?" he said quietly, his dark eyes sad.

"I'm still going to be here," she replied, feeling rather uncomfortable.

"No, you'll be in Egypt. Don't you ever stay in one place?" he asked.

"Of course. I stayed here for five years, didn't I? And anyway, you can visit me in Egypt. I'd love to have you!" she said.

"Yes, but would _Yami _like to have me?" he said, sighing. "Maybe I'll move to Italy. Then maybe I wouldn't feel like we were so far apart."

"You don't have to move on account of me," Kai said, giving him a strange look. "I'll still call you every week."

"You don't get it, do you? I don't _want _to just keep in contact by phone every week. I want to _see _you! We've been best friends all our lives; I don't know what I'll do if I lose you," he said. Now there was definitely an odd look in his eye and Kai was starting to feel a little nervous.

"Carlos, you won't lose me," she said, confused. "I'll always be your best friend no matter what, you know that."

He was silent for a moment. "Yeah. I know that. I guess I just feel that by you getting married we're growing apart. I don't want to do that."

Kai relaxed, realizing that this was what he was worried about. There was nothing out of the ordinary. She sighed and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. "We'll never grow apart. I promise."

He gave her a small smile before pulling her into a tight hug. Kai rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying some time with Carlos. She hadn't realized how hard he'd take her engagement. As far as she knew, he hadn't really been dating that much since she had left. The fact that she was getting married before him might have more of an affect on him than it would have normally.

After a few minutes, Kai pulled away from him. "You should probably go to the bachelor party now. If you don't show up, Yami might get suspicious," she joked.

Carlos laughed and stood up. "Really? Maybe I should stay…" He winced as Kai hit him in the head. They walked to the door, Carlos' arm around her shoulders.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding," Kai said, looking at him.

"Yeah. But, before I go, can I have a kiss?" he asked, one of his grins spreading across his lips.

She pulled away from him and folded her arms. "Carlos, I'm engaged."

"Oh come on. It's me. Yami won't mind."

"You're really pushing it, you know?" she said with a sigh.

"I do what I can get away with," he said, grinning.

Kai rolled her eyes. "You're really going to get me into trouble one of these days."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said with a roll of his own eyes. Before Kai could stop him, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers gently. He held it for a moment and when he pulled away, he looked directly into her eyes briefly. When he grinned again, it looked a little forced. "See, that wasn't so bad. And now, I promise to leave you alone and Yami can have you and all will be well with the world," he said.

Kai laughed, not allowing herself to recognize the longing in her friend's eyes. "You do that. And leave now so you can get to the party," she said, opening the door and pushing him out.

"Maybe I'd rather stay here," Carlos said, leaning on the doorframe.

"Maybe I want you to leave," Kai said, putting her hands on his chest and shoving him into the hall.

"You need to work on your hospitality," he said, sticking his nose in the air and looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Kai laughed and he looked at her more seriously. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kai. Ti amo."

Kai gave him a weird look. "Ti amo to you too, whatever that means."

Carlos smiled softly at her. "Bye."

"Bye." She watched him slide his hands into his pockets and walk slowly down the hall. When he looked over his shoulder, she waved and he smiled back. With that, she sighed and closed the door.

Carlos walked down the hall, his head hung. There was a lump in his throat as he thought about where he was headed and why. The only thing he'd wanted more than Kai was for her to be happy. Now she was, but he never would have imagined her happiness could make him miserable. He took a deep breath and swallowed as he reached the elevator, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat, but it didn't do any good. There was a woman and her child in the elevator also going to the first floor and he greeted them with a small nod.

He tried to concentrate on the conversation the little girl was having with her mother, trying desperately to rid himself of the feel of Kai's lips on his. But no matter what he did, her face was always in his mind, her laugh always ringing in his ears, her soft touch always remaining on his lips. He was greatly relieved when the elevator came to a stop and as soon as the doors opened far enough for him to get out he was already gone.

He walked quickly out to his car, his hands in his pockets. He reached his black convertible a few minutes later and he closed the top when he got inside. Then he then leaned his arms on the steering wheel, rested his forehead on them, and cried harder than he ever had in his life. Tears soaked his jacket sleeves, but he didn't notice. He felt like his world was ending with Kai's new beginning. She was leaving him even though she didn't see it that way. He couldn't blame her; he wanted so much for her to be happy. But he wanted her to be happy with _him _not Yami. He couldn't help but wonder where he went wrong. Was there anything he could have done different that would have changed things? Anything that would have stopped Yami from even entering the picture? But he couldn't change things now. Kai was getting married and instead of being the groom he was standing on the sidelines. Nothing he did would change how Kai felt about Yami. They would get married whether Carlos was there or he wasn't. And then they'd move to Egypt. Kai was leaving him and taking his heart with her. No matter how hard he tried he knew he'd never get over her. No other girl could take her place. Would it even be fair to another girl when he knew he'd be comparing her to Kai all the time in his mind? He didn't know anything anymore. Kai was the only girl he'd ever loved and ever would love. And she didn't even know. And he couldn't tell her. All he could do was feel sorry for himself and cry. So he did. He cried until he had no more tears left to shed and then he cried some more.

He didn't know how long he sat in that parking lot, but by the time he managed to get to the bachelor party the sun was beginning to set. From the car, he could see and hear the party. They had put up bug lamps around the lawn of the church. Tables of food were set in a line on one side of the lawn and chairs were everywhere, most of them not being used.

Carlos got out of his car and slid his hands into his pockets. He headed up the walk to the party unnoticed. He could see Yami having an in depth conversation with Yugi about something and felt hatred like nothing else he'd ever experienced surge through him. If Yami had never come, Carlos would have Kai and he wouldn't be watching her get married to someone else. But his thoughts were interrupted as Bakura noticed him.

"Carlos!" he called. The only reason Carlos recognized him was his British accent. Bakura Ryou looked completely different from the last time he had seen him. His white hair was cut short, though his bangs still hung down to his eyebrows. He was taller and far more in shape than he had been five years ago and Carlos couldn't help but think of how many girls he must be fighting off.

"Bakura," he said, pulling his hand out from his pocket and extending it. Bakura's grip was firm as he shook his hand, much like how Carlos' was.

"It's good to see you could make it. We weren't sure you would," he said, smiling.

"I got held up," Carlos replied. "You weren't there when Kai announced her engagement," he said after a moment.

"No, I wasn't. My father had a heart attack and was in the hospital that week," Bakura said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is he all right?" he asked. Kai had told him about Bakura's family history and the only one who had had it worse that Carlos knew of was Kai herself.

Bakura nodded. "Yes. He has been at home for a while now, but I have a friend of the family's taking care of him while I'm here. I couldn't miss Yami and Kai's wedding." He looked about to say something else, but stopped. There was an awkward silence and Carlos noticed that the Brit hadn't gotten rid of his old habit of scratching his head when he was nervous or uncomfortable.

Joey saved the day, though, when he realized someone new had come to join the party. "Hey, Carlos! 'Bout time you showed up! Where ya' been?" he said, walking up to Carlos and Bakura. A little cocktail sandwich was in his hand and Carlos suspected the food was Joey's favorite part of the party.

"I was held up. Traffic was bad," he replied, feeling a little bad about lying. But he didn't want to strike up suspicion just before the wedding. Kai would never forgive him. And if he couldn't have her, he at least wanted to still be on speaking terms.

"That sucks. But hey, you're here now, right?" Joey said, clapping him on the back and giving him a grin. He took a bite of the sandwich. "Come on, join the fun!"

With a shrug, Carlos followed Joey and Bakura to the tables where Tristan was gathering food onto a plate. He looked up and immediately greeted Carlos with a big grin. Once again, the Italian had to tell him he was held up in traffic, a story that seemed to satisfy everyone. Tristan and Joey suddenly started arguing then and from what Carlos could get of it, Joey had tried to steal some of his friend's food. Carlos backed away slowly as though the two guys were escapees from the local insane asylum.

With a sigh, he turned around and came face to face with Yugi, who greeted him with a warm smile. "I'm glad you could make it, Carlos. Yami was hoping you'd be able to come."

Carlos raised his eyebrows in shock. Yami wanted him to come? "He was?"

Yugi nodded. "He's over there if you want to say hi."

"Thank you Yugi," Carlos said. Yugi touched his shoulder as he walked past, heading towards Joey and Tristan, who were still fighting. Shrugging, Carlos looked over at the steps of the church where Yami sat. Again, he felt jealousy pulse through him as he started towards the pharaoh.

Yami stood up as he noticed him approaching. "Hello Carlos."

"Hi," Carlos replied, feeling uncomfortable. What should he say to him? There was so much concerning Kai he'd like to say but somehow just starting off with that didn't seem right.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it," Yami said, smiling softly.

"You and the rest of the gang," Carlos replied. "I was at Kai's." He waited for an accusation or a question about it, but none came. In fact, Yami looked pleased about it.

"I'm glad to see you aren't holding it against us, Carlos. I was nervous about that. Kai needs you and the last thing I want for her is to lose your friendship," he said.

"No, she won't lose my friendship. I'll always be there for her and you'd better be too. If I hear that you've hurt her in any way, you'll answer to me, do you understand?" he said, his tone harshening as he pointed a finger at Yami.

Yami merely smiled. "I understand. But I don't plan to hurt her, so you don't have to worry."

"But I do anyway," Carlos replied, looking the Pharaoh in the eye.

"And I admire that about you. You are a good man, Carlos. I am proud to know you," Yami said, putting a hand on the Italian's shoulder.

"You are?" Carlos asked, his eyes widening in surprise. Yami nodded and Carlos found the corners of his lips turn upwards slightly. He no longer felt anger towards Yami; in fact, right at that moment, he liked him. Kai could have picked worse he supposed. At least Carlos had the feeling that Yami would take care of her and protect her. That's what Kai needed, someone strong.

And so, he put his hand on Yami's shoulder. "You're a good man as well, Yami. And I am proud to know you."

Both men smiled at each other before someone yelled, "Group hug!" Before Carlos knew it he was crunched in the middle of all the guys, feeling better than he had in a while. He knew that by the time tomorrow came around he'd be miserable again, but for now he'd enjoy the happiness. A happiness he'd never have thought he could experience while with Yami. He was having fun and the only thing that could have made it better would have been if the bachelor party had been for him, not Yami.

Ti amo – I love you

a/n: Kind of bittersweet. I think there are two more chapters left. Review and I'll post!


	39. The Wedding

a/n: This is the wedding. But before I let you read this, I need to give a disclaimer. The song in here is not mine. It's _White on White _by Danny Williams. I don't own it. It's a nice song and if anyone wants to hear it (because I know you haven't already because it's old) email me and I'll email it back to you.

Kai stood in front of the mirror, staring nervously at her reflection. She ran her hands over her waist, the satin material smooth under her fingers. The long sleeves started just below her shoulders and hugged her arms nicely. Around her neck was the necklace Yami had given her for Valentine's Day, the gold cartouches glittering when she moved. She stared at her reflection and exhaled slowly, raising her hands to her veil. She pulled it over her face, feeling it touch her nose lightly.

"This is it," she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. She closed her eyes as took a deep breath as she turned away from the mirror.

_White on white,_

_Lace on satin,_

Blue velvet ribbons on her bouquet… 

Carlos stood to the side as he waited for his best friend to come through the double doors. Yami stood before the alter, his hands in his pockets. He was trying his best not to look nervous, but the way he kept looking over his shoulder down the isle, waiting for Kai, showed his stomach was doing flips. As he looked at Yami, Carlos felt such a yearning to be in his place, to feel those butterflies as he waited for Kai. But all he could do was take a deep breath and look over his shoulder once more at the doors.

And then the music started and they opened.

_White on white,_

_Lace on satin,_

_My little angel is getting married today…_

Kai was standing there in the doorway, more beautiful than he had ever seen her. In her hands, she held a bouquet of roses of all different colors. Now, more than ever, Carlos wanted to be the one to lift her veil. How could he watch someone else do it in his place? How could he stand on the side and watch? He took another deep breath and turned back around, blinking tears from his eyes.

_Here she comes in her wedding gown,_

_Looking like a queen,_

_She has been my only love,_

_Since she was thirteen…_

The organ played the melody he had wanted to hear for so long, had been planning to hear. But not like this. Not having his love marry someone else. Now he would have to watch Kai kiss Yami when she should be kissing Carlos. He should be the one standing at the alter waiting for her. Waiting to put that ring on her finger. Wanting her to look at him with love in her eyes, like the way he looked at her. How was it possible that she hadn't figured it out? Was she really that dense? Or was she in denial? In either case, half of him wanted her to know so desperately, yet the other half wanted to keep her in the dark. She wasn't his anymore. He would never have a chance to tell her how he felt.

_I've been dreaming of this day,_

_And how proud I'd be,_

_When she came walking down the isle,_

_And held out her hand to me…_

The music stopped as Kai reached Yami and for a moment Carlos thought she glanced at him as she took the groom's hand. But when he blinked, Carlos realized he had imagined it. Her eyes were on Yami and Yami only. Never would Carlos be anything more than a friend to her. She would be married. He would have no say in what she did anymore. His time for taking care of her was over. She didn't need him anymore. She needed Yami. Carlos would forever be on the sidelines. Would he be able to take that? How could he go on, knowing the one he loved didn't love him? Would he ever meet someone he could love as much as her afterwards?

_White on white,_

_Lace on satin,_

_Blue velvet ribbons on her bouquet,_

_White on white,_

_Lace on satin,_

_My little angel is getting married today…_

Carlos looked up at the priest as he began reading. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the holy matrimony…" Carlos closed his eyes, not wanting to hear any more. He wanted to run from the room and catch the next plane back to Japan. He wanted never to think of Kai again, but then… all he wanted to think about was her. His whole life seemed to have revolved around her. There had been the connection… why couldn't she have felt it too?

_I'll be waiting to kiss the bride,_

_When her name is new,_

_Standing oh so close to her,_

_Silently saying I do…_

He felt as though he had been standing there for hours when he realized the priest had gotten to the vows. "Do you, Kai-Tara Lee, take Yami Kaltesh to be your lawfully wedded husband, through sickness and in heath…" The words stung Carlos like a thousand knives stabbing repeatedly into his heart. All he could do was stand there and listen as she said, "I do."

_I'll be holding back my tears,_

_Till she's gone away,_

_'Cause she belongs to someone new,_

When the organ starts to play… 

"Do you, Yami Kaltesh, take Kai-Tara Lee to be your lawfully wedded wife…"

Carlos felt someone touch his hand lightly and he looked over his shoulder to see Elaine giving him a sympathetic look. He turned away quickly; her sympathy would only make him feel worse. The last thing he wanted to do was cry now. Exhaling slowly, he tried to ignore the ache in his heart as he heard Yami say, "I do."

_White on white,_

_Lace on satin,_

_Blue velvet ribbons on her bouquet,_

_White on white,_

_Lace on satin,_

_My little angel is getting married today…_

"You may now kiss the bride."

Yami lifted the veil over Kai's head as she gazed adoringly up at him. He leaned in and kissed her gently and it was all Carlos could do not to break down and cry. All he could do was close his eyes and look away, his actions going unnoticed by everyone else in the church. She was gone. He could no longer come over any time he wanted. The tiny hope he had had of her suddenly looking at him and realizing he was the one she really loved had finally gone out. He felt so empty now. There was a hole that could never again be filled. He felt like someone had ripped his heart out and torn it to shreds.

The organ began to play again and the church erupted into applause as the new couple turned down the isle, smiling at each other. And all Carlos could do was stand there and watch. The guests had all stood up and were cheering, some of the girls throwing flower petals over Kai and Yami's heads. Elaine had also stood, but was the only other person not cheering for her friend. Her attention was on her brother and the fact that a tear had made its way down his cheek.

"Carlos," she muttered, turning him around. He dried his face and looked at her, his dark eyes full of pain. Elaine found tears welling up in her own eyes as she looked at him. She hated seeing him this way. And as much as she thought Kai and Yami were wonderful together, she couldn't help feeling that Kai would have been just as happy with Carlos. She would have loved to have had her as her sister-in-law. But that wasn't the case and all she could do was help Carlos through it.

She put an arm around his waist briefly, squeezing him lightly. Then they just watched Kai and Yami walk out of the church and listened to the applause. Joey and Tristan were yelling things that no one could really understand over the noise, Tea and Serenity were crying, Yugi and Bakura were punching the air and cheering, and Mai was merely clapping, though if anyone had bothered to look closer they would have seen that her eyes were slightly moist. As soon as Kai and Yami made their way out of the church, the rest of the gang hurried outside after them, Carlos and Elaine bringing up the rear.

My little angel is getting married today… 

Once they were outside, Kai turned back and announced that she was going to throw the bouquet. The men all covered their ears as shrieks and squeals erupted out of the girls as they ran around, trying to figure out the best position to catch the bouquet. Even Elaine perked up and joined in. Yami was laughing as Kai started bouncing up and down, trying to get the girls to pay attention. Finally, at a loud yell from Tristan, they all fell silent and got ready to jump.

"Okay!" Kai shouted, grinning widely. "Get ready!" She turned around and there were squeals again as she did. "One… two… three!" Kai threw the bouquet over her head and the girls all shrieked as they jumped up and down, reaching for it.

The guys and Kai were all laughing at the madness for a few seconds before Elaine finally shoved her hand into the air, holding the bouquet. Everyone cheered, including Carlos, as she stuck her face in the flowers and took a big sniff.

"The funny thing is," Elaine said, laughing. "Is that I'm the only one here without a boyfriend!"

Everyone laughed as Mai touched the Italian's shoulder. "I don't know," she said, smiling slyly. "I've noticed Bakura has been eyeing you quite a lot today."

Elaine blushed and glanced at Bakura, who was talking to Yugi. "Really? Well then I guess I have to do something about that, huh?" she said, grinning at Mai.

"Go at it sweetheart," Mai replied, chuckling.

Carlos watched his sister walk over to Bakura and Yugi and join in the conversation easily. He sighed, feeling left out, and turned around to find Mai standing by him.

"She's not the only fish in the sea you know," she said.

"It's not that simple," he replied.

"Nothing's ever that simple, sweetheart. It's called life. You'll get over her. Sure, it'll take a while, but it'll happen," Mai said.

Carlos shrugged and glanced over at Kai and Yami, who were leaning on the white convertible the gang had pitched in to buy for them as a wedding present. They looked like they had been married for years already. Carlos sighed as he turned back to Mai. "I know," he said.

"Well, if you're anything like Joey the cake at the reception will cheer you up," she said with a chuckle. Carlos smiled, appreciating her effort to make him feel better.

"Maybe it will," he said and Mai laughed.

"Men," she said. She gave him a wink before turning around and going over to where Joey and Tristan stood, conversing heavily about food.

My little angel is getting married today… 

a/n: Okay, I'm not sure if there is one or two more chapters after this, but this fic is very close to the end. (Finally lol) Keep reviewing and I'll post the finale!


	40. The Flight Home

a/n: This is the last chapter guys! And I've decided what to do about Carlos. Read to see!

Kai and Yami were waiting in the parking lot for Carlos to pick them up and take them to the airport. They had already had most of their furniture shipped to Egypt, where they were planning to not only spend their honeymoon, but a few years at least. Their car had also been sent there already so they would have a mode of transportation when they arrived. All that was left to take to Cairo were a few suitcases that sat at their feet.

The couple sat on the curb in front of the apartment building, Kai resting her head on his shoulder while Yami's arm draped around her shoulders. The autumn air was crisp and the cool breeze was filtered through the knit of her sweater, making her shiver slightly. Yami tightened his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to warm her up, kissing the top of her head. She looked up and him and smiled as the familiar purr of Carlos' Mercedes became audible. Both looked towards the driveway of the apartment building to watch their friend pull in. Carlos drove along the curb and came to a stop in front of them, grinning.

"What are you doing down there?" he asked, sliding his sunglasses down his nose to look at them. "You want to miss your flight?" He put his forefinger on the bridge of his glasses and pushed them back up before resting his arm along the back of the passenger seat.

Yami and Kai smiled as they stood up and grabbed their bags. "Pop the trunk, Carlos," Kai told him as she went around the back of the convertible.

"Already done miele1," Carlos replied, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

Once their luggage was in the trunk, the newlyweds both got in the backseat. Neither of them noticed Carlos' face fall slightly when Kai didn't slide in next to him. But he quickly cleared his throat and revved the engine. A few seconds later, they were pulling away from the apartment building.

As they drove down the street, Yami couldn't help inspecting the car. The black, leather seat was smooth under his hands and there wasn't a speck of dust on the floor. It seemed the entire car was black except for Carlos' steering wheel cover, which had bright red and orange flames on it. Yami couldn't help being reminded of the mafia as he looked the car over. Even _Carlos _looked a little like a hit man when he sat at the wheel in his dark sunglasses. Yami's thoughts were interrupted when Carlos spoke, though.

"Like my car?" he asked with a smirk, glancing at the Pharaoh in the mirror.

"Yes. It's very…" Yami paused trying to think of the word he wanted.

"You," Kai finished and the three of them laughed.

"Yeah. Elaine has a Diablo. Which is very her," Carlos said with a chuckle. "The car of the devil."

Yami chuckled, somewhat agreeing. Elaine _was_ a little devil he supposed. She was certainly a take-charge sort of girl. She had come to his wedding without a boyfriend and left with Bakura's arm around her shoulders, Kai's bouquet in her hands. He had to admit that he had been surprised that Bakura, being as quiet as he was, would fall for Elaine with her extremely outgoing and bubbly personality. But then, maybe opposites attract. He made a mental note to wish them well when they came to see him and Kai off to Egypt.

About fifteen minutes later, the trio arrived at the airport. They had an hour before the flight to Cairo left, which was to be the final farewells with the gang. Yami remembered how Kai had cried the last time she had to say goodbye to Carlos and had a feeling she wouldn't be any happier leaving him this time. But then, he knew he wouldn't be thrilled to be saying goodbye to Yugi for the second time either, so he couldn't put her at fault. As they walked to the café in the airport where they were supposed to meet their friends, a part of Yami didn't want to see them. It would have been easier just to make the farewells at the wedding reception instead of now. But he knew he would have felt guilty if he hadn't said goodbye now, so he was also glad he had this hour with his friends.

When they arrived at the café, Tea, Yugi, Mai, and Joey were already there. Kai waved to them and Tea hopped up to hug her. Yami hugged Yugi and Joey in turn and Carlos shook hands with Mai, a silent understanding between them. By the time Serenity, Tristan, Elaine, and Bakura arrived, tears were already starting to flow. Elaine was holding onto Kai's arm as though it were the only thing keeping her alive and was sobbing into her friend's shoulder. Kai was trying desperately not to break down too and, for the moment, she was doing a fair job of only letting a few tears roll down her cheeks.

"I'm only just met you and now I have to say goodbye!" Serenity moaned, sniffing.

"I can't believe you're leaving me _again!_" Elaine wailed.

"I'm not really leaving any of you," Kai said, putting her arm around Tea. "You can come visit Yami and me any time you want and maybe we'll even come visit you sometimes too."

"Yeah, but somehow Egypt seems so much farther away than America!" Serenity said, wiping away a tear.

"It's not, though. It's actually closer to Japan," Kai said.

"Um, actually, no it's not," Bakura corrected. He stood by Elaine, one hand on her shoulder comfortingly. At his words, she wailed and began to cry harder.

"Nice going, Bakura," Tristan said, looking at the girls, who had pulled numerous chairs into a huddle and were crying on each other's shoulders. The men were either sitting on the table or standing, trying not to laugh at their female companions. Bakura blushed and rubbed Elaine's shoulder comfortingly.

"It's okay, guys, really! I'll still see you!" Kai said. Tea leaned her head on her friend's shoulder, silent tears falling from her eyes.

"I'll miss you, Kai," Serenity said, drying a tear.

"And I'll miss all of you!" Kai said, sniffing.

While the girls kept up like this, the men gathered in their own group and began bidding each other good-bye. Before long, there was an announcement for Kai and Yami's flight. All the girls with Mai as an exception gasped. Serenity, Elaine, and Tea all wrapped themselves around Kai as she stood up and they group hugged, none of them wanting to let go.

"I have to go!" Kai said, finally managing to pry her friends off her. She was about to say something more when she felt a hand tap her shoulder. When she turned, she was facing Carlos. Now was when the tears started coming.

As Carlos hugged her, she buried her face in his chest and cried. She had known she'd cry when the time came to leave him, and for a split second, she reconsidered going to Egypt. But when another announcement came over the speakers for her flight, she realized she had to go.

Kai pulled reluctantly out of her friend's arms and wiped her tears away. He muttered, "Good-bye, Kai," and she immediately scolded him. "No!" she exclaimed, sniffing. "This isn't good-bye; it's not forever. I'll see you again. I promise."

"I'll hold you to it," he said, giving her a thin smile. Then he nodded to the door of the café. "Go, you'll miss your flight."

Kai nodded and hugged him one more time before walking over to Yami. She hugged everyone else one last time before leaving and heading to the gate, tears streaming down her face.

The rest of the gang sat and talked for a few more minutes before finally dispersing, spirits considerably low. Carlos sighed and followed the last ones out of the café with his hands in his pockets. He wasn't driving anyone home; Elaine was riding with Bakura. He had nowhere to go and no one to see and he didn't know what he wanted to do now. The only thing on his mind was Kai and the fact that this was probably the last time he'd see her for years.

He was wandering around the terminal, unsure of where he was going and why, when someone collided hard with him. He cried out as he stumbled backwards, ripping his hands out of his pockets. Stars flew in front of his eyes as he lost his balance and fell, hitting his head on the hard floor. He blinked and rubbed his eyes as he tried to focus on the person who was apologizing profusely above him. By the time he had managed to sit up, he had made out that the voice was female. He looked up to see a dark haired girl drop to her knees beside him, concern in her eyes.

"Spiacente Signore!2 Spiacente! Are you all right?" she asked. Carlos' eyes widened as her accent registered in his brain.

"Spiacente…" he muttered, surprised.

The girl blushed. "Oh, it means 'I'm sorry,'" she explained.

"No, I know. Carlos sono, tu?3" he said, grinning as her expression changed from worry to shock.

"Rosalita sono… Tu parle Italiano?4" she asked, helping him up.

"Ci, sono Italiano,5" Carlos replied, smiling. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you just flying in?"

"Ci, from Sicily," Rosalita said, getting her suitcase from the floor. "I wanted to see America."

_I guess I won't be leaving as soon as I thought_, he thought with a grin. "Well, I don't know much about America either. I just flew in from Japan for my friend's wedding."

"Oh really? Were you best man?" she asked.

"Well, not exactly," he laughed. "My best friend was a girl, so I was sort of a second best man in place of the maid of honor."

Rosalita laughed. "I see. Well, I'm glad for you."

Carlos shrugged, feeling slightly down again with the mention of Kai. He quickly shook himself out of it, though, and replied to Rosalita. "So, where are you headed?"

"Some where to get a cappuccino," she said with a laugh. "I need something to keep me awake."

Carlos smiled, jumping at this opportunity. "There's a café just down there. It's pretty nice."

"Perfect!" Rosalita said, smiling. "Would you mind showing me where it is?"

"Only if I can join you," Carlos replied, grinning.

She laughed. "Of course."

"This way," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the café. As they walked, they passed the gate for Kai and Yami's flight. _Ti amo per sempre, Kai,_6he thought with one last look at it. Then he turned back to Rosalita, resigning to getting on with his life.

1 – Miele - Honey

2 – Spiacente Signore – I'm sorry sir

3 – Carlos sono, tu? – My name is Carlos, you?

4 – Rosalita sono… Tu parle Italiano? – My name is Rosalita… You speak Italian?

5 – Ci, sono Italiano – Yes, I am Italian.

6 – Ti amo per sempre, Kai – I love you for always, Kai

a/n: I'm glad I figured that out for Carlos. Anyway, that's the last chapter of my fic, which means this thing is finally over. lol Hallelujah! Don't forget to review amici! (friends)


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